LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A Los Angeles police captain is suing the city, alleging his position was downgraded after complaining that beanbag shotguns were wrongfully being used against non-violent demonstrators and media members in 2020 during protests after the murder of George Floyd.
Capt. Johnny Smith’s Los Angeles Superior Court whistleblower suit was filed Tuesday and seeks unspecified damages. A representative for the City Attorney’s Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
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Smith is the commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 30: Law enforcement push forward moving protesters in the Fairfax District on Saturday, May 30, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. Protests erupted across the country, with people outraged over the death of George Floyd, a black man killed after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground with his knee. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
During the unrest and demonstrations after the May 2020 death of George Floyd, Smith told his commanding officers and Chief Michel Moore that officers were using bean bag shotguns against peaceful demonstrators and members of the media who were not threatening any individuals or property, according to the suit.
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