A jury has awarded a man $375,000 after he was injured by a rubber bullet shot by an LAPD officer at a demonstration over George Floyd‘s death.
Deon Jones, 31, was struck in the face by the “projectile during a protest in the Fairfax district over the death of George Floyd.”
In a complaint, he alleged he was leaving the protest when a Los Angeles police officer Peter Bueno fired a rubber bullet.
It caused a fracture and lacerations to Jones’ cheek. In addition, the lawsuit says an ophthalmologist told Jones of the bullet had struck millimeters from where he was hit, he could’ve been blinded or killed.
In a seven-day trial at a Santa Ana federal court, the jury ruled the incident “malicious, oppressive, or in reckless disregard of Mr. Jones’ rights.”
“Think of the person who hated you the most in this world and was able to go to your face with a metal pipe,” Jones said. “Literally, that’s what it felt like. It felt like I was going to die that day,” Jones said.
Initially, the LAPD offered a settlement, but Jones denied it and went to trial. Jones received $250,000 in damages for his injuries and $125,000 in punitive damages. The judgment total was higher than the offered settlement.
“There’s no margin for error with this weapon,” said Jones’ attorney, Orin Snyder. “It’s a precision, target-specific weapon – meaning if Deon was shot in the face, that’s where the shooter intended to shoot.”
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