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Critical Mass Videographer Files Suit Against City
Manuel Gallegos shows the iPhone he used to film the incident during a June 4th press conference (Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist)
Manuel Gallegos, the man who recorded the violent confrontations between Los Angeles police officers and Critical Mass participants in May 2010 has filed a lawsuit against the city, according to CBS2. Shortly after the incident, which took place during a ride organized to protest the BP oil spill, Gallegos filed a claim against the city, setting the wheels in motion for yesterday's suit.
In his suit, Gallegos alleges he was “chased down by LAPD officers, who tackled him, dragged him off his bicycle and proceeded to beat and kick him.”
Gallegos' video was made public right after the ride, and shows a portion of the confrontation between LAPD officers and the riders:
The rider making the video shouted out in protest, and moments later was taken down by police in a confusing tackle; one shouts "get up," while the other shouts "get down." The rider, whose camera has been dropped on the street, repeatedly yells "What'd I do?"
Gallegos claims an officer trampled on his phone in "an attempt to destroy evidence of the unlawful conduct of the LAPD officers." The suit alleges "civil rights violations, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery and negligence." The LAPD so far has made no comment on the lawsuit.
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