Long Beach Police Shoot Unarmed Student
There are cases in Los Angeles where the police have used excessive force to respond to a disturbance, unnecessarily harming or even killing those whom they should be protecting.
For instance, in a recent incident, police in Long Beach shot and killed an unarmed honors student who was reportedly behaving “irrationally,” even as the student’s friends begged the police not to shoot him. The incident took place on 7:30 pm, on May 27th in the 4600 block of East 15th Street, according to police reports.
The student, identified as Feras Morad, was set to attend University of California, Long Beach in the fall, according to family. His friend told reporters that he was transferring to Long Beach State to save money; he had been accepted to both UCLA and UC Berkeley as well and was a nationally ranked debater.
Such cases can be complicated, and the current incident is under investigation; however, it is possible that there may be grounds for a police brutality lawsuit.
If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victims of excessive police force or brutality, it may be time to contact a Los Angeles personal injury attorney from Ellis Law.
Long Beach police shoot unarmed student
The Long Beach incident occurred after the student jumped through a second-story plate glass window and police subsequently failed to restrain him using other methods. Friends indicated that he had tried mushrooms for the first time and that his behavior was the result of a bad trip. Whereas the police officer initially tried to stop Morad, indicating that he wanted to provide medical attention, he determined that the young man was a threat after his use of “verbal commands, an electronic control device, an impact weapon, and physical force” according to the police report) failed to slow him down, and Morad allegedly old the office that he was going to attack him.
Morad’s friends and family have expressed dismay at the police officer’s decision to shoot, and at other aspects of the case’s handling. According to one friend’s interview with CBS, “We were screaming don’t shoot … … What they resorted to, this is not the type of help he needed.”
Incidents in which the police use unnecessary force, especially when dealing with an unarmed suspect have drawn close scrutiny in recent years, with some family members filing a personal injury lawsuit in Los Angeles against the police department over alleged actions.
Pursuing an LA police brutality lawsuit
It is not always clear whether litigation is the best course of action. However, if you believe that you or a family member has been a victim of police brutality in Los Angeles, your best decision would be to contact a lawyer who is well-versed in such cases in order to determine early on whether you have a viable claim.
At Ellis Law, we adamantly protect the rights of citizens when it comes to police confrontations. No one should be mistreated, brutalized, or injured at the hands of the police officers who are sworn to protect the citizens of Los Angeles.
Please contact our offices at 310-641-3335 to set up a confidential, no-cost meeting to discuss any potential case.