Teenager's family files lawsuit against LAPD for crash causing "catastrophic injuries," attorney says
A teenager has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department over the "catastrophic injuries" he suffered when they allegedly rammed into the back of his motorbike in February, according to his attorney.
The lawsuit, filed on the family's behalf by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, claims that the 16-year-old victim, only identified as K.W., was riding a Honda Grom motorbike near Grand Avenue and Washington Boulevard on Feb. 25 with a group of friends when "LAPD officers deliberately rammed his bike with their patrol vehicle."
They say that when the crash happened, the LAPD patrol car was not utilizing its lights or sirens and that the teenager did not receive any commands to pull over.
The crash left the victim with injuries including multiple fractures to his shoulder, leg and jaw, the lawsuit alleges. It also caused "life-threatening internal bleeding and organ damage; facial trauma; and permanent injuries requiring surgeries and a future knee replacement," said a news release shared by Crump ahead of a news conference on Friday.
Attorneys then allege that K.W. was slammed to the ground and handcuffed. They say he was not given first aid at the scene and that he was chained to his bed upon being taken to a hospital, at which point officers also allegedly denied his mother access.
"Because the internal bleeding was so bad, that they gave me an option," said Shalayla Thomas, the boy's mother, during Monday's news conference. "And, I just called the lawyer."
She was one of a few who spoke, including one of K.W.'s friends, who was with him when the crash happened. He says that the officers' car barely missed him as they quickly approached, and that they opened their door abruptly, hitting K.W. and sending him flying into a pole.
"It was so intense. When I heard that, kind of off the side of my helmet, and my face ... it was like really traumatizing," said Quincy, the boy's friend.
The complaint alleges excessive force, equal protection violations, assault, battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, Crump's release states. As such, he and the family of the victim are demanding that LAPD officials release the officers' body camera footage immediately.
"They did want to sweep it under the rug," Crump said. "But thanks to this mother and the community activists standing wit her, they say, 'LAPD, you will not sweep this under the rug.'"
Family members say that the boy has dreams of becoming a commercial pilot and that he's a member of the "Fly Compton Foundation." Those dreams, however, may be severely compromised by the injuries he suffered in the crash.
Los Angeles Police Department officials said that they do not comment on pending litigation when CBS News Los Angeles requested comment on the lawsuit.
