LA DA Jackie Lacey, Husband Sued For Home Confrontation With Black Lives Matter Demonstrators
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Members of Black Lives Matter have filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey and her husband over an incident in which her husband pointed a gun at demonstrators while they stood outside the front door of the Laceys' Granada Hills home in March.
Melina Abdullah, Dahlia Ferlito and Justin Marks alleged civil rights violations, assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
On March 2, one day before the California primary election, Abdullah — co-founder of the L.A. chapter of Black Lives Matter — and other demonstrators went to the Laceys' home, allegedly to find out why the district attorney had not agreed as promised to meet with them to discuss issues of community concern.
When they rang the doorbell, David Lacey opened the door and video shows him pointing a gun at the demonstrators and saying he would shoot if they did not get off his porch.
"The plaintiffs...believe that Jackie Lacey aided and abetted (David) Lacey's decision to cock, load and then point the handgun directly at Dr. Abdullah's chest and at Ms. Ferlito's and Mr. Marks' bodies,'' the suit states. "The plaintiffs were unarmed and had done nothing to justify this use of deadly force against them.''
Attorney Jeffrey Zinder issued a statement on behalf of the Laceys.
"This lawsuit was filed two weeks before an election and not at any time in the last seven months because it is being put forward for transparently political purposes,'' the statement read. "If there was merit in this lawsuit or if it was being offered sincerely, it would have been filed at some point prior to today.''
Lacey is facing a runoff election on Nov. 3 against George Gascón.
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