The Los Angeles Times recently published a piece detailing the civil rights violations against our client, Lyle Spruill, and the public’s growing mistrust of the police. Lately, Law Enforcement in the United States have had their dependability deeply questioned as they increasingly have not been able to be trusted to tell the truth. Police brutality and misconduct is more prevalent than ever, and having a police brutality lawyer on your side is imperative. Luckily for one victim, justice prevailed as a settlement of $500,000 was reached against a group of deputies who had falsely accused him of a crime they knew did not commit.
Kirakosian Law and Lyle Spruill
Greg Kirakosian, of Kirakosian Law, represented Lyle Spruill in a lawsuit against six Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies from the notorious Century Station. Spruill was arrested in December of 2019 and was accused by two deputies of pulling a weapon and firing upon the deputies with the intent to kill them. As a result, he faced very serious charges, including the attempted murder of a police officer which could potentially lead to a life in prison. He spent the next six months in jail, and all because six different Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies had claimed to have witnessed the incident and corroborate the deputies’ allegation that they were fired upon by Spruill.
They had reported hearing a single gunshot during a foot chase outside Golden Bird Chicken in Willowbrook, and one said he saw a revolver on the man they were after, followed by a bright muzzle flash. However, there was no gun to be found and deputies accused an unknown accomplice of picking up the weapon to help Spruill.
Based on the reports and affidavits of these police officers, the district attorney’s office naturally charged Spruill with attempted murder. However, just before his scheduled preliminary hearing in June 2020, prosecutors dropped the case. Luckily for Spruill, video surveillance of his interaction with the deputies were captured by a local business and clearly showed that Spruill had never stopped, turned, or fired a gun at anyone. The district attorney’s office said that the evidence, including surveillance footage of him and the absence of gunshot residue, didn’t support the charges.
Spruill and his attorney, Greg Kirakosian said that if it were not for the physical evidence, it would have been a case of “he said, she said”, but it would be Spruill’s word against that of several law enforcement officers.
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Who can we trust?
So did the officers make a mistake about what they saw or did they simply lie? A jury will never need to make that determination, as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed to resolve the case. However, according to false arrest and police brutality lawyer Greg Kirakosian, “they were not exactly telling the truth, that’s for sure.” “We’re not talking about one bad apple making a bad split-second decision…This case involves a series of cooperative efforts to fabricate evidence and withhold exculpatory evidence. It’s the ultimate violation of the public’s trust.”
In Lyle Spruill’s own words, “It’s not like they’re accusing me of stealing candy from a store,” he said. “They were trying so hard to make sure I never come home again.”
The police seemingly twisting reports of events and hiding evidence has never been new. But lately, this practice has been coming to light increasingly over the past few years, especially amid a push for criminal justice reform spurred by videotaped police interactions leading to death of individuals, such as that of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Spruill’s criminal case is among others in Los Angeles that have been tossed out or rejected by prosecutors, or are under review, because the evidence and stories presented by police do not hold up.
The United States and False Arrests
A Gallup poll after Floyd’s May 25 death found that confidence in police was at a record low, falling to less than half the U.S. population, 48%, for the first time in 27 years. Experts say it appears people are more likely now to question what’s in police reports.
The truth is, when any police department comes under investigation, this tends to lead to decreases of community trust and increases in crime. The situation couldn’t be any worse. In July of 2021, three LAPD officers were charged with falsely labeling and targeting people that they had thought were gang members or associates. Because of this, prosecutors are reviewing hundreds of cases in which these three LAPD officers have been listed as potential witnesses. Could they be trusted?
Why Have A Police Brutality and False Arrest Lawyer
False arrest, excessive force and police brutality are a growing concern in our society, especially in California. This is why our firm actively pursues cases involving improper conduct, malicious prosecution, unjustified shootings and other abuses of power.
If we can’t reach an appropriate settlement through mediation, we are fully prepared to take civil cases to trial. If you think you have been a victim of Police Brutality, reach out to a specialized Police Brutality Lawyer immediately.