LAPD Blinding: $11.7M Verdict, Policy Overhauls

0:00A federal jury slammed the City of Los Angeles with an $11.7 million award to Isaac Castellanos, a 22-year-old back in. 2020, who got partially blinded in one eye by an LAPD Leslie Thil Projectile during the Dodgers World Series celebration downtown. Officers Cody MacArthur and Jesse Pineda fired 37-millimeter launchers into the crowd without proper warnings or dispersal orders. The jury ruled unanimously. They called it negligence, excessive force, and a straight violation of his constitutional rights. Since 2020, the city's coughed up over $19 million in LAPD crowd control payouts. But this verdict dwarfs them all, topping even. A 3.6 million case from a protest filmmaker, Castellanos lost his rising esports career, switched to part-time Amazon warehouse gigs, and, battle PTSD, depression, and busted relationships. His lawyers are pushing for LAPD policy overhauls to stop these injuries, especially with fresh

1:03lawsuits alleging permanent blindness from similar. Rounds at recent protests, like one guy hit at a June 2024 event and another in January 2026, seeking 100 million. These massive hits keep piling up, forcing the city to rethink crowd tactics so folks can celebrate or protest without fearing for their sight, or future. We've been listening to California News today, AI-powered local news.