A Los Angeles Police Department officer acted with malice when using excessive force against a college student from Whittier, a U.S. district court jury has found.
Daniel Garza, a 28-year-old kinesiology student at Cal State L.A., won $210,000 in damages on Monday after filing a lawsuit against the officer, L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck and the city of Los Angeles.
On May 14, 2015, Garza was exercising in his front yard when Officer Mario Cardona parked his truck in his driveway across the street, got out and yelled at Garza to “come here,” according to the lawsuit.
The officer, who was off duty, eventually crossed the street and assaulted the college student without provocation, punching him in the face and forcing him to the ground. While holding onto Garza, Cardona yelled that he had a “kidnapping suspect” in custody and a warrant for Garza’s arrest, the lawsuit alleged.
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