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The family of Brian Beaird, who was shot at 20 times by LAPD officers after a car chase, has started proceedings to sue the police department for killing the unarmed man.In KTLA news footage of the end of the Dec. 13 chase, Beaird is seen crashing his car onto a sidewalk, where he is surrounded by police cars. He climbs out of his car with his hands to his sides, not holding a weapon or even gesturing at police. He walks behind his car, then grabs his stomach, collapses on the ground and spasms for a few seconds as police shoot him. Some reports have suggested that police got nervous when one officer shot at Beaird with a bean bag.
Beaird’s family is suing the department for $20 million, City News Service reports. A reader says that the family has filed a claim with the city, which is a pre-requisite to filing a lawsuit, but has not yet sued in court.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has suspended the officers involved in the shooting, saying he is “very concerned about the circumstances that led up to and resulted in this officer-involved shooting.”
Although Beaird’s driving is neither safe nor legal in the video, we’re going to go out on a limb and say it probably wasn’t cause for summary execution. Next car chase, LAPD officers might also bear in mind that the city’s taxpayers don’t have an extra $20 million to spare.
