Los Angeles has been ordered to pay $11.8 million to a man who lost his eyesight after being struck by a projectile fired by a police officer during celebrations for the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series win.
A federal jury reached this decision on Thursday in the case involving 27-year-old Isaac Castellanos, a college student who was injured while peacefully celebrating in downtown Los Angeles in the early hours of October 28, 2020.
After the incident, Castellanos filed a lawsuit in 2022, claiming excessive force was used.
The lawsuit mentions that officers from the Los Angeles Police Department approached the crowd and, without warning, began firing projectiles—classified as “less-lethal” munitions—which encompass rubber bullets and bean bags.
Following the trial, the jury took approximately two hours to deliberate before returning their verdict, prompting Castellanos, who sat beside his attorney, to break down in tears.
“He feels extremely relieved and vindicated,” Castellanos’ lawyer, Monique Alarcon, stated. “He’s hopeful this will encourage the LAPD to reassess their crowd control methods.”
There was no immediate response from the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office regarding comments on the ruling.
At the time of his injury, Castellanos was a senior at California State University, Long Beach, with aspirations of becoming a professional e-sports player. Alarcon noted that he had recently celebrated a tournament win that netted him and his teammates $40,000.
“He was at such a critical juncture in his life, and this incident really turned everything upside down for him,” Alarcon remarked.
The Los Angeles Police Department faces several lawsuits related to the use of less-lethal munitions for crowd management.
Since the commencement of the current presidential term, a federal judge has prohibited the department from using rubber bullets and similar munitions against journalists after projectiles hit reporters during protests against immigration policies in June.
A further federal injunction in January restricted the use of .40 millimeter launchers in crowd control by the LAPD.
Furthermore, in 2021, California imposed limitations on the application of less-lethal munitions, mandating that alternatives to force be explored first in crowd management scenarios. Officers are now not allowed to target crowds indiscriminately or aim for the head, neck, or other critical areas. Additionally, individuals cannot be fired upon merely for violating curfew, verbally signaling a threat to police, or disobeying law enforcement orders.
