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State and Federal Lawsuits Filed in
LAPD Shooting of Brendon Glenn
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (Feb. 9, 2016) – State and federal lawsuits were filed this morning against the City of Los Angeles; Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, personally and professionally; LAPD Officer Clifton Proctor; and LAPD Officer Jonathan Kawahara on behalf of the three-year-old son and the mother of Brendon Glenn whom officers shot to death on May 25, 2015 in Venice.
Sheryn Camprone, as guardian ad litem for Avery Glenn, son of deceased, Brendon Glenn and as Special Administrator of the Estate of Brendon Glenn vs. City of Los Angeles, Police Officers Clifford Proctor, Jonathan Kawahara, Police Chief Charlie Beck, in his individual and official capacity, Does 1 to 10, inclusive was filed in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County. The complaint is for damages for wrongful death, assault and battery, negligence, and violation of the Bane Civil Rights Act.
Sheryn Camprone vs. City of Los Angeles, Police Officers Clifford Proctor, Jonathan Kawahara, Police Chief Charlie Beck, in his individual and official capacity; Does 1 – 10, inclusive was filed in the United States District Court, Central District of California. The complaint is for damages for unreasonable search and seizure; unreasonable use of deadly force; deprivation of life without due process; interference with parent-child relationship; and municipal liability for unconstitutional custom, practice, or policy.
Civil rights attorneys V. James DeSimone of V. James DeSimone Law and John Raphling of The Law Office of John Raphling submitted a claim for damages to the City of Los Angeles on behalf of Glenn’s mother and son on Sept. 23, 2015. The claim asked the City to accept responsibility for the killing and to compensate the family. The claim was summarily denied by the City the following week.
“Chief Beck saw the video of Officer Proctor shooting Brendon Glenn and acknowledged that it showed no ‘extraordinary circumstances’ to explain the shooting,” says DeSimone. “After Chief Beck’s own investigation, he recommended criminal charges against Officer Proctor, saying it was an ‘obvious decision’ based on the evidence.”
Brandon Glenn is one of 21 people killed by LAPD officers this year. He was not armed. According to witness accounts and the clear implication of Chief Beck’s call for prosecution of the officer, it is evident that Glenn posed no threat to the officers or to anyone else. Officer Proctor shot him twice in the back.
“LAPD trained this officer and created a police culture in which violence is often a first resort,” says Raphling. “LAPD led Officer Proctor to believe his actions would go unpunished. The LAPD needs to take responsibility for this killing, to make amends to the family, and to take steps to ensure it never happens again.”
LAPD continues to hide from public scrutiny by refusing to make the video of the killing available to the public, despite calls to do so from Glenn’s family and members of the community.
“This lack of transparency in the police department allows them to deny blame when they harm people and makes meaningful oversight impossible,” says Raphling. “We believe this lack of transparency will lead to further tragedies, like the killing of Brendon Glenn.”
“This officer took a man’s life,” says DeSimone. “A mother lost her son. A three-year-old boy will grow up with only the haziest of memories of his father. All that remains for the Glenn family is this lawsuit, which we hope gives them some measure of justice.”
For more information, contact DeSimone at 310.902.5455 or visit www.vjamesdesimonelaw.com.
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