Asim Jamal Shakir Jr. filed a lawsuit against the LAPD after being struck by two foam projectiles shot by LAPD police during a protest/riot in May 2020 following the passing of George Floyd. A LA jury this week gave Asim Jamal Shakir Jr. a stunning $3.75 million.
Shakir was moving backward and away from a line of LAPD cops wearing riot gear on the evening of May 28 while he live-streamed his participation on his Instagram account. During the hearing, police said that the crowd had already been told to leave. He can be heard shouting at the cops throughout the stream until he comes across Officer Eric Anderson, his uncle, who he simply cannot leave alone.
Shakir is heard in the video taunting the cops and accusing them of pointing out targets for shooting. For those who don’t know, this is a normal thing to do. You ask, “Why?” This is done so that cops with non-lethal weapons can find people who pose a threat to their safety or the safety of harmless people in the crowd. In some cases, this is done to get troublemakers out of a hostile crowd so they can’t stir up more trouble. Most of the time, police officers go out of their way to make sure that any use of force doesn’t hurt anyone else.
Shakir begins to mock his uncle (Officer Anderson), shouting things such as, “Our ancestors are now turning in their graves!” while he is pointing at him. “They are telling one another who to shoot! Look, look!” he kept saying. In the background, you can just barely hear a pop about halfway through his film. He then says that a foam round hit him in the hand. But you can’t see or hear any orders to shoot, and you can’t tell who shot.
Shakir’s attorney, Carl Douglas, said in the case that both the LAPD as well as Shakir’s uncle were careless. He said that Shakir did not hear police give a dispersal order simply because “he showed up late,” and that the event caused him both physical and mental pain. Plain and simple, the claim is ridiculous. If someone shows up late for a protest and his video clearly displays a line of policemen moving the crowd in a particular direction, a sensible person would turn back and leave right away. The officer’s acts make it clear that they want you to leave, and no sane person would say it would be considered okay to stay there.
Some people might wonder how the jury arrived at this choice following 13 hours of deliberation. The fact is that most people who live in the City and County of LA are either registered Dems. or strong liberals. Also, the local media in Los Angeles and Southern California typically have a bias against policemen that they often include in their stories.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
