LOS ANGELES (AP) — The city of Los Angeles must pay $11.8 million to a man who was blinded by a projectile fired into a crowd by police officers while he was celebrating the Dodgers 2020 World Series win.
A federal jury ordered the payment Thursday after a trial brought by 27-year-old Isaac Castellanos, who was in college when he was struck in the face by the projectile while peacefully celebrating in downtown LA early Oct. 28, 2020.
Castellanos was permanently blinded in one eye and filed a federal lawsuit in 2022, alleging excessive use of force. According to the complaint, Los Angeles Police Department officers advanced toward the crowd and began firing projectiles, also known as “ less lethal” munitions, without warning. Less lethal munitions can include rubber bullets and bean bags.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a verdict. Castellanos, sitting next to his attorneys, was brought to tears.
“He is incredibly relieved and feels very vindicated,” Castellanos’ attorney, Monique Alarcon, said. “He’s really hopeful ... that this will cause the LAPD to take a hard look at their crowd control practices.”
