LA Jury Awards $3.75 Million To Rioter Over Two Foam Projectiles

A Los Angeles jury handed out a $3.75 million award this week to Asim Jamal Shakir Jr. for injuries sustained during a protest — or riot, depending on one’s perspective — in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Shakir was hit by two foam projectiles fired by LAPD officers while live-streaming on his Instagram account. The high-stakes case leaves many wondering about law enforcement and justice in a deeply polarized America.

According to court documents, Shakir arrived late at the scene. He was walking backward away from LAPD officers when he was hit. He later claimed that he did not hear a dispersal order given to the crowd. However, one point stands out: Shakir was actively taunting the officers, specifically his uncle, Officer Eric Anderson, saying things like, “Our ancestors are turning in their graves!”

The jury’s decision took 13 hours of deliberation and concluded that the LAPD and Shakir’s uncle were negligent. His attorney, Carl Douglas, celebrated this as a warning signal against “similar acts of police violence.”

The puzzling part about the case is the jury’s take on what could reasonably be expected from a person in Shakir’s situation. “When someone arrives late to a protest where you can see a line of police officers moving a crowd in one direction, a rational human being would immediately turn around and leave,” one analyst observed. Shakir, however, chose to engage, even going as far as taunting his uncle, who was on duty.

Moreover, police often identify targets that pose a risk to their safety or that of innocent civilians. Shakir’s video clearly shows officers were attempting to move the crowd away—a standard procedure for controlling unruly crowds. 

The jury pool in Los Angeles is no stranger to biases against the police force, adding an extra layer to this case. The overwhelmingly Democratic demographics and a media often seen as critical of law enforcement could easily influence public opinion and, possibly, the outcome of such trials. “The overwhelming majority of the potential jury pool in this region is going to be at the very least skeptical of any cop, and possibly even blatantly and proudly anti-cop,” notes a seasoned observer.