Man Wins $6.5 Million In 2020 Clash With Officers After Lakers NBA Finals Victory

LOS ANGELES, CA — A jury has awarded $6.5 million to a man who said he was seriously injured by mounted LAPD officers during celebrations after the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 NBA championship victory.

The plaintiff, Pablo Vera, alleged in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that he was peacefully celebrating near Staples Center on Oct. 11, 2020, when mounted LAPD officers struck him multiple times with batons, breaking his forearm and causing injuries that required surgery and years of physical and emotional recovery that continues to this date.

Jurors returned their verdict Tuesday in the courtroom of Judge Michael Small, finding the city and Officer Alexander Alvarez liable for assault, battery and violations of Vera's constitutional rights.

"This verdict sends a clear message that constitutional protections do not disappear during crowd-control operations," plaintiff's attorney J. Bernard Alexander III said. "The jury saw body-worn camera footage that contradicted the justification offered for officers striking Mr. Vera with a Bokken baton and breaking his arm. After hearing the evidence, the jury concluded that LAPD officers used unlawful, excessive force, violated Mr. Vera's civil rights and caused injuries that continue to affect his life nearly six years later."

The LAPD and Alvarez denied Vera's allegations, contended that the plaintiff ignored an order to disburse the scene of the incident and that reasonable and necessary force was used against him.

The jury unanimously found that Alvarez and the city of Los Angeles committed assault and violated Vera's constitutional right to be free from excessive force. The jury also found in Vera's favor on his battery claim and determined that LAPD officers committed acts of violence against him because of his race. The jury further found by clear and convincing evidence that Alvarez acted with malice, oppression and fraud, awarding an additional $20,000 in punitive damages against him individually.

According to plaintiff's evidence presented at trial, body-worn camera footage contradicted the city's claims that Vera posed an immediate threat to LAPD officers. Vera's legal team argued that the footage showed that each time Vera was struck, it was with a baton, twice while he was attempting to move away from mounted officers.

The evidence undermined any justification the city offered for the use of force, Vera's attorneys contended.

Vera's attorneys said the confrontation left Vera with a broken forearm requiring surgery, ongoing physical pain, emotional trauma and lasting limitations affecting both his work and daily life. Vera missed months of work as a security guard and continues to experience the effects of the injuries he suffered, according to his lawyers.