A man has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department, alleging that officers fractured his jaw with a foam projectile during a protest in downtown Los Angeles last year.
Atlachinolli Texcacoatl, 49, said he was complying with police orders to disperse following a protest against federal immigration raids when he was struck in the face.
As a result of the impact, Texcacoatl said his jaw was broken, requiring two surgeries to repair the injuries, he told KTLA’s Sandra Mitchell.
“My left cheek busted open, bleeding, my jaw out of place, fractured. Having screws in my gums and my mouth wired shut for six months,” he said.
Texcacoatl’s attorney, V. James DeSimone, said officers deployed foam rounds in violation of department policy.
“They can not be used merely to disperse a crowd, and that is exactly what they were using them for,” DeSimone said.
Texcacoatl is seeking monetary damages related to the incident.
“It hurts me so much,” he said.
The LAPD has stated that members of the crowd were throwing objects at officers during the protest.
A recent court ruling now restricts the department from using certain less-lethal weapons for crowd dispersal.