Eighteen protesters, some of them from the Occupy movement, have accused Pasadena police officers of physically abusing and assaulting them outside a lecture by former Mexican President Vicente Fox at the Pasadena Civic Center last November.
The claims, filed May 13, allege that at least 11 Pasadena officers used excessive force against a group, which included children, outside the Nov. 14 lecture. The group, including several members who were arrested by police, was protesting legally and peacefully across the street after police had blocked the front of the civic auditorium, said civil rights attorney James Segall-Gutierrez, who is representing the protesters in the civil claim.
Segall-Gutierrez said the “bruises, scratches, cuts and abrasions” his clients suffered from the incident are further proof of a problem in the Pasadena Police Department.
“Police brutality in the city of Pasadena is rampant. It is out of control and unfortunately the chief of police and the city have not seen to it to retrain their officers on whether it is necessary to use excessive force or deadly force,” Segall-Gutierrez said.
At the time of the incident, police said the protesters pushed toward the auditorium, blocked some of the entrances and hit some of the police officers on the back of the head and threw things at them. A woman broke through the barricade, police said, and then other protesters clashed with police.
Police officials reported that there were 40 officers at the scene and about 50-100 protesters.
Segall-Gutierrez said his clients were legally protesting behind police barricades when officers began arresting them, and then things turned violent. Video of the incident captured by security cameras and citizen video posted on YouTube, he said, show that his clients did not do anything wrong. If the city rejects the 18 claims, he said, he plans to file a civil rights lawsuit in federal court.
“There was a concerted effort to prevent these people from exercising their First Amendment right to protest,” Segall-Gutierrez said.
Alejandro Torres, 22, of San Pedro, Ulises Hernandez, 21, of Van Nuys, Benjamin Torres, 29, of Pasadena, and Christopher Wohlers, 23, of Long Beach were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer, and Dara Glanzer, 22, of Pasadena and Brian Connolly, 36, of Pasadena, were arrested on suspicion of inciting a riot during the protest.
Hernandez, Benjamin Torres, Wohlers, Connolly and Glanzer are among those who filed the claims. The other protesters who filed complaints are Kylene Wolfstein, Paul H. Waters-Smith, Clarence Joseph Smith, Jr., Yehuda Maayan, Niglmoro Erin Okuk, Eddie Betts, Arturo Blas, Sofia Blas, Zyanya Blas, Maria Cazarez, Antonio Hernandez, Brenda Hernandez and Adriana Alcaraz.
Each of the 18 claims is asking for $25,000 in damages.
Alejandro Torres appears to have filed a separate complaint from the group, which is listed for council notification at Monday’s meeting.
City Attorney Michele Beal Bagneris did not return calls for comment Friday and City Attorney Michael Beck said he did not have enough information to comment on the case.
Councilman Steve Madison, chair of the Public Safety Committee, said he has seen video evidence that shows the protesters were out of line, and he has no “reason to believe” the officers acted inappropriately.
“Sometimes unfortunately, … someone who has been charged for a crime for their actions will make those claims strategically,” Madison said. “I think, … maybe I’m just an old guy telling them this, part of civil disobedience is being arrested sometimes and accepting responsibility for your own actions.”
John Nash Law Blog 