A Los Angeles Dodgers fan was awarded $11.8 million by a federal jury over a lawsuit alleging the Los Angeles Police Department partially blinded him during a World Series celebration in 2020, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Isaac Castellanos was 22 years old and a student at Cal State Long Beach when he drove to downtown LA with a group of friends on Oct. 27, 2020, the night the Dodgers clinched their first World Series in 32 years in six games against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Castellanos said he and his friends were peacefully celebrating around 1 a.m. the next morning when LAPD officers confronted the crowd. Per the Times, LAPD officials have claimed the officers were responding to violent groups that were vandalizing and breaking into downtown businesses.
The end result was Castellanos getting hit in the right eye by a less-lethal projectile, permanently losing vision in that eye. He was reportedly struck by a 37-mm “skip trace” launcher, which fires hard foam projectiles intended to bounce off the ground and strike targets in the lower body.
Per the Times, LAPD policy says those weapons are supposed to be fired at close range. Castellanos’ legal team reportedly showed evidence they were fired at a distance of approximately 145 feet, allowing the projectile to rise to eye level.
Castellanos sued, alleging excessive force and a violation of his due process rights. Adding to the potential damages was Castellanos’ career as an esports player. He reportedly won $20,000 at a gaming competition months before the incident.
The trial, which occurred nearly six years after the incident, reportedly consisted of six days of testimony and evidence, then less than two hours of deliberation by the jury.
The eight-figure sum requires approval from city leaders and could be changed during the appeal process. Castellanos’ attorneys have reportedly pushed to triple the jury award under a state law allowing for increased damages in such cases.
