Cops Who Shot and Killed Unarmed Autistic Black Man Awarded Nearly $2 Million Dollars Each
A lawsuit had been filed by both Officer George Diego and Officer Allan Corrales, against their department. They claimed that they were “discriminated” against after shooting Steven Eugene Washington.
The lawsuit contends that their restriction to desk duty after the shooting was “a retaliatory act” and “discrimination” against them.
It seems almost impossible to believe, but the jury agreed with them and awarded the two nearly $2 million dollars each. That broke down to $1.9 million dollars to Officer Diego and $2 million to Officer Corrales.
Chief Charlie Beck said that the idea that the two were placed on desk duty because they are Latino – as the suit alleges – is preposterous. They were, instead, placed on desk duty because they shot an innocent, unarmed man – an African American man at that, he added. This made them a potential liability, and that alone accounted for the desk duty, not anti-Latino racism.
The victim of the two officers had an IQ of 40, which accounted for his walking with a blank stare. But instead of properly assessing the situation and the individual, the two opened fire, killing Washington.
The 27-year-old man with autism was killed on March 20, 2010 for nothing more than that “blank stare,” according to an internal investigation report. They said that this look indicated “suspicious activity.”
When Washington reached for his cellphone, the two LAPD officers shot him right in the head, killing him.
Chief Beck stood by the officers, ruling that they “had acted reasonable,” but he put them on desk duty nevertheless. Now, both men are millionaires, while Washington is dead for nothing more than being autistic and reaching for his cellphone while having committed no crime whatsoever.
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Originally Posted by phill4paul
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