excessive police force | Dolan Law Firm

City of Stockton Pays Disabled African American Man $307,000 To Settle Police Abuse Case Following Dog Attack

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Chris Dolan, lead trial counsel and founder of the Dolan Law Firm, PC, announced today that the City of Stockton has paid $307,500 to settle a federal abuse of force case against the Stockton Police Department.

The federal civil rights lawsuit brought on behalf of James Smith, a mentally disabled, African American, man, alleged that multiple bites inflicted by a Police K9 as Mr. Smith was handcuffed, were an abusive excessive use of force. At the time of the canine attack on November 21, 2014, Smith, then 18 years old, with an IQ of a child, lay face down and in handcuffs. Video of the attack showed that officers stood aside as the dog repeatedly bit Mr. Smith for more than a minute.

Reporte detallado del Departamento de Justicia de las deficiencias del departamento de Policía de Salinas

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El departamento de policía de Salinas mato cuatro hombres latinos en 2014. No cargos fueron puestos en contra de los oficiales. Nuestra firma de abogados representa a los padres de Osman Hermandez, uno de las personas asesinadas.

Nuestra firma de abogados representa a los padres de Osman Hermandez, uno de las personas asesinadas. Los cargos de la queja que los oficiales del departamento de policía de Salinas, sin causa alguna, usaron fuerza excesiva e irrazonable en contra de Osman Hernandez, paralizándolo y después disparándolo aproximadamente diez veces.

Deficiencies Of Salinas Police Department Detailed In DOJ Report

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The Salinas Police Department killed four Latino men in 2014. No charges were brought against any of the officers. The Dolan Law Firm represents the parents of Osman Hernandez, one of the persons killed.

The civil rights/wrongful death complaint charges that Salinas PD officers, without cause, used excessive and unreasonable force against Osman Hernandez on May 9, 2014, tasing him and then shooting him approximately ten times. Hernandez, the complaint charges, did not pose a threat of death or serious injury to the officers when they fired their guns.

Wrongfully Tased by Police. What Are My Rights?

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Today’s question comes from Marvin in the East Bay who asks: “I was recently tasered by the police when I had not done anything wrong. They were going to arrest some other dude and when I said I had nothing to do with anything I got tasered. I didn’t threaten anybody and I had nothing to do with the crime which they accused the other guy of doing. I was never even accused of being involved in the crime before I was tasered. They originally claimed that I was resisting arrest and interfering with law enforcement but the charges were dropped. What are my rights?”

Marvin, what has happened to you seems to be reflective of what is happening in our society today.

False Imprisonment in a Retail Store?

This article was written by Chris Dolan and published by The San Francisco Examiner. Click here to read more of Chris Dolan’s biweekly articles at SFExaminer.com.

This week’s question comes from Lionel T. from South San Francisco who writes:

“I went shopping at a [major retailor] in a mall with a friend of mine. We are young and he was being uncool and he took a cheap piece of jewelry for his girl and didn’t pay for it. He walked out and the alarms went off. He took off and security chased him while another one grabbed me in front of some nearby classmates. I hadn’t done anything. I told them to let me go and they told me to come with them and led me into a back room and told me to empty my pockets. I did, and I didn’t have anything stolen on me. They then told me to call my friend and get him to come back. I said no. They told me that they would call the police and tell them that I stole something.

I said I didn’t do anything and let me go. They said no and I walked to the door and a guard stepped between me and the door. After a while they called the store manager who came in. I explained that I had nothing to do with any theft and he told the guards to let me go. I feel they did me wrong. Do I have a case?”