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Black Lives Matter activist files $4M lawsuit against LAPD, city
Black Lives Matter activist Greg Akili, right, claims he was wrongfully arrested by the LAPD during a police commission meeting.
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Frank Stoltze
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Black Lives Matter activist files $4M lawsuit against LAPD, city
Activist Greg Akili claims officers wrongfully arrested him while he exercised his right to free speech by "upsetting and disrupting" a police commission meeting.
Black Lives Matter activist Greg Akili Tuesday filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the LAPD and city of Los Angeles claiming he was wrongfully arrested during a raucous police commission meeting last year.
The suit stems from the events that transpired as the Feb. 9, 2016 meeting was getting underway.
Akili and other Black Lives Matter activists were refusing to sit down and stop shouting denunciations of commission President Matt Johnson and the LAPD.
As Johnson gave the 68-year-old Akili his "last warning" to sit down, the activist stood up and pointed his finger at Johnson, saying he had no right to tell activists to be quiet.
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Officers escorted Akili out of the building and arrested him, not for disrupting the meeting but for allegedly grabbing a female officer. The city attorney charged him with misdemeanor battery.
Akili refused a plea deal. The city took the case to trial; a jury convicted him of resisting arrest but couldn’t reach a decision on the battery charge.
For Akili, his arrest had nothing to do with battery.
"I wasn’t arrested for anything but upsetting and disrupting the meeting. And there is no law against that," Akili told KPCC outside police headquarters Tuesday.
The city attorney’s office says it's reviewing his lawsuit.
Akili has been a familiar face at police commission meetings in recent years. He is perhaps the best dressed activist, in his trademark double breasted sport coat, pocket square, dress shoes and brown fedora. He also is often defiant.
Akili remains a regular at police commission meetings – in fact he was asked to leave Tuesday’s session after loudly claiming that the LAPD "is the most murderous police force in the country."
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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