A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed against Los Angeles County probation officers involved in a use of force incident that was caught on video.
During a news conference Wednesday, attorneys for then 17-year-old Beckham Cardona showed video of the October 2020 attack at a Malibu juvenile facility.
The video, first obtained by the Los Angeles Times, shows multiple officers on top of Cardona, while Oscar Cross is seen bending the teen’s legs backward while he is already held down.
The lawsuit accuses the officers of placing excessive weight on teen’s throat and chest, disrupting his oxygen flow.
Attorneys say the teen posed no threat, was not fighting back and could be heard screaming in the video.
Late last month, District Attorney George Gascón filed a felony excessive force charge against Cross in connection with the incident. Gascón called it a “brutal” assault on a child.
Cardona on Wednesday said he was left traumatized by the ordeal. He indicated that he feared repercussion and was told that he could end up in adult jail if he reported the incident.
“Final good justice would be if they locked up more of these people who witnessed it and didn’t report it,” attorney Luis Carrillo said. “Police officers are mandated to stop another officer from committing abuse.”