LA Press Club Sues LAPD Over Alleged Attacks on Journalists

In Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Press Club and investigative news outlet Status Coup have filed a federal lawsuit against the LAPD, alleging repeated violations of journalists’ rights under the U.S. Constitution and California law.

The suit, filed today in federal court, claims officers used excessive force against reporters covering recent protests sparked by ICE raids in the region. Journalists were allegedly shot with so-called “less-lethal” munitions, charged by police horses, and physically blocked from filming.

Adam Rose, press rights chair for the LAPC, said the group is standing up for its nearly 1,000 members who deserve to report the news without risking their safety.

Attorney Carol Sobel, lead counsel in the case, added: “Our democracy depends on an informed public. When press rights are threatened, it’s the public that suffers.”

The lawsuit also invokes Senate Bill 98, which makes it illegal for police to obstruct or assault journalists, and Assembly Bill 48, which restricts law enforcement’s use of projectiles and chemical agents during protests.

The case—Los Angeles Press Club v. City of Los Angeles—was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.