LOS ANGELES : Excessive Force Suit Against LAPD Ends in Mistrial
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A federal judge declared a mistrial in an excessive-force lawsuit that ultimately may determine if the Los Angeles City Council helped foster a policy of police brutality.
U.S. District Judge J. Spencer Letts dismissed the jury when he learned that a key plaintiff witness was unable to testify and that another did not have firsthand knowledge of what she going to be asked about.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 4-year-old Johanna Trevino, stems from the fatal police shooting of her father, Javier, and two other men during an attempted robbery of a McDonald’s in Sunland on Feb. 12, 1990.
The trial was reset for Dec. 6. It is the second mistrial within a year in the case.
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