An amended federal civil rights lawsuit against the Topeka Police Department alleges officers were trained to approach encounters with “a plan to kill,” prompting scrutiny of the department’s de-escalation practices and use-of-force policies. The complaint, filed by The Estate of Taylor Lowery, further asserts a pattern of excessive force and inadequate medical assistance within the department.
Isaac Castellanos was awarded $11.8 million by a federal jury after Los Angeles police fired a projectile into a crowd during the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series victory celebrations, resulting in him being permanently blinded in one eye.
A federal civil rights lawsuit alleging excessive force by Los Angeles police during the 2020 Dodgers World Series celebration is set to go to trial April 7, nearly six years after a rubber bullet struck a 22-year-old college student in the eye, leaving him with permanent vision loss.
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office has filed a complaint alleging that multiple San Francisco police officers engaged in racial profiling, unlawful detention, excessive force and an illegal home entry during a chaotic late-night encounter that turned a family gathering in Hunters Point into a scene of confusion and violence.
A federal civil rights lawsuit alleges that Richmond police officers used “needless” deadly force against Jose De Jesus Mendez-Rios, an unarmed 51-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis, and violated his Fourth Amendment rights by failing to follow established crisis intervention practices.
The family of Victor Lopez, an 18-year-old who was fatally shot by Santa Ana police during a traffic stop, has filed a civil rights claim against the city alleging excessive force and a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
Three legal claims have been filed against the city of Anaheim accusing police officers of using unjustified and excessive force during a Dec. 6 encounter that resulted in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Alberto Arzola, serious injuries to another teenager, and lasting trauma to a child who witnessed the shooting.
Physicians for Human Rights has filed an amicus brief in the L.A. Press Club v. Kristi Noem case, arguing that U.S. federal law enforcement repeatedly misused rubber bullets, pepper balls, tear gas canisters and flash-bang grenades against journalists, medics and peaceful demonstrators during protests in Los Angeles in the summer of 2025.
The Chicago Headline Club has filed a notice in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleging that agents from the Department of Homeland Security violated a temporary restraining order limiting federal agents’ use of force during a protest in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
A federal civil rights lawsuit between Solano County and Nakia Porter, her father J.B. Powell, and her three children has concluded with a $17 million settlement, representing one of the largest excessive force settlements in California history.
Nakia Porter and her father, J.B. Powell, have finalized a $17 million settlement with Solano County in an excessive force lawsuit stemming from an incident in August 2020 in which Porter was beaten unconscious by deputies while her children looked on.
Ourania Thimmhardy, a 71-year-old woman, has filed a formal complaint against multiple Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies after being allegedly assaulted by former Deputy Matthew Gurich, resulting in permanent injuries.
A Sacramento lawsuit challenging police violence during the 2020 George Floyd protests has resulted in a monetary settlement, but the court refused to impose lasting injunctive relief, leaving the plaintiffs and advocates frustrated and vulnerable to repeat abuse.
OAKLAND, CA – U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White declared a mistrial last week for one of the…
WOODLAND, CA – Law enforcement officials “coerced” a complaining witness into identifying the accused at the scene…
Vanguard News Desk Editor SUNNYVALE, CA – A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed this week by the family…
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Dept. of Justice last week announced the Louisiana State Police (LSP) consistently…
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The U.S. Dept. of Justice this week it has reached a “court enforceable agreement”…
LOUISVILLE, KY – A federal jury late Friday convicted Brett Hankison, a former Louisville detective, of using…
By Jocelyn Lopez SAN DIEGO, CA – The U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday a two-count…