Family of killed teen files lawsuit

The Los Angeles Police Department faces a 120 million dollar lawsuit from the family of 19 year-old Abdul Arian, who was gunned down after a freeway chase and confrontation by police officers in April.

The lawsuit filed in federal court also names the city of Los Angeles and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.

“Our position is not one single bullet was lawful in this case; and if the police were in such fear, they never would have charged him the way they did,” said Jeffrey Galen, the Arian family’s attorney, regarding the altercation.

Officers fired as many as 120 bullets, hitting Arian more than a dozen times.

Police said Arian called 911 during the chase, claiming to have a gun and making threats to the police. However, no gun was found on Arian or in his car.

The lawsuit follows the release of an autopsy report showing that no drugs or alcohol had been found in the teenager’s body.

The attorney says the report is proof that officers used excessive and brutal force.

This comes as police have refused to release the 911 tapes which recorded the conversation between Arian and the police.

“I told the deputy chief and all their commanders please put the entire 911 tape — don’t give it to me — put it in the media so everyone in the world could see it; but they refused,” said Hamed Arian, the teenager’s uncle.

Similar tragedies involving teenagers have been making headlines in different American cities including Pasadena where two African-American teenagers were shot and killed by the police over the past few months.

Unarmed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was shot to death by an armed neighborhood-watch volunteer on February 26. Human rights groups insist that the shooting of Martin was racially motivated.

GMA/JR

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