officers - The Black Vault

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newspaper, city and state.)
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Star-News
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. By Jeff Mitchell beating of King, whose attorney y
staff Writer is preparh>:g a $56 m~ion. law- nue:
1--------------- suit, he said the case IS vitallY
: LOS ANGELES - A passenger in the important to help prese~e the
'car driven by police beating victim Rod- civil rights of minorities m the
·ney G. King filed a lawsuit in federal Southland and to protect them
:court Thursday, alleging that Los Ange- against police brutality..
les police officers violated his civil Burton said that Allen asked
:rights, physically harmed him and left • him to file the lawsuit because'
him psychologically traumatized. he believed the actions of om-
Bryant Allen, a 25-year-old Altadena cers at the scene were forged out
resident, was riding with another Alta- of overt racism.
,dena man, Freddie Helms, in King's . '"This is a civil rights case,"
Hyundai on March 3 when the car was Burton said. "lt is aimed at as-·
stopped and King was brutally beaten by sembling the eVidence of the rae­
Los Angeles Police Department officers ist activities of the LAPD and in
Character.
or
Classification:
Submitting Office:
Los Angeles
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SER!AllZEO fliJ:Il.\.-..---1
MAR 2 T 1991
in Lake View Terrace. ·
particular the Foothill Divi-
The lawsuit, filed by Pasadena attor- sion.';
1
ney John C. Burton, seeks unspecified Since th~ March 3 incid~nt,
monetary· damages and names the city of· Burton said, Alleh has been slow
Los Angeles, Mayor Tom Bradley, Police to heal from bOth the physical
Chi~f D8;ryl ~ates, 18 LAPD officers, two 1 \1 and psychological trauma. . lawsuit, Allen claims that:
Califorma Highway Patrol officers and a "He'& been sever~ly ttau~a- • "Overt and tacit anti-black
Los Angeles Unified School Distrtct ·offi- tiz~. He does not. trust ~hce racism" exists within the LAPD
cer as defendants. · . offiCe;,s and h~. IS af~ald· of and specifically within the Foot-
" My client was proned out, hand- thetn, Burt;on saiq, ad~mg fu.at hill Division.
FBI LOS ANGELES ~
cuffed, stomped and kicl{ed, and made to of. the ~any pollee brutal~~Y.
squirm like a _worm in the dirt," Burton cases whi