A federal jury has awarded $11.8 million to a college student who permanently lost vision in one eye after Los Angeles police fired a projectile into a crowd of Dodgers fans celebrating their 2020 World Series championship.
The verdict came Thursday following a lawsuit filed by Isaac Castellanos, now 27, who was struck in the face during the early morning hours of October 28, 2020, while peacefully joining festivities in downtown Los Angeles.
Castellanos suffered permanent blindness in one eye and brought a federal civil rights case in 2022, claiming officers used excessive force. His lawsuit stated that Los Angeles Police Department personnel moved toward the celebrating crowd and began shooting projectiles — referred to as “less lethal” rounds such as rubber bullets and bean bags — without any advance warning.
The jury reached their decision in under two hours of deliberation. Castellanos became emotional as he sat beside his legal team when the verdict was announced.
“He is incredibly relieved and feels very vindicated,” said Monique Alarcon, Castellanos’ attorney. “He’s really hopeful … that this will cause the LAPD to take a hard look at their crowd control practices.”
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
At the time of the incident, Castellanos was completing his final year at California State University, Long Beach, and had bright prospects as a competitive esports athlete, according to his lawyer. Just weeks before being injured, he and a partner had claimed first place in a gaming tournament, earning a $40,000 prize.
“He was at a pivotal point in his life … and this completely derailed him,” Alarcon explained.
The Los Angeles Police Department faces multiple ongoing legal challenges regarding their deployment of less lethal weapons for crowd management.
Following incidents where journalists were struck by projectiles during protests against immigration policies, a federal judge prohibited LA officers from using rubber bullets and similar weapons against members of the media.
Additionally, a federal judge issued an order in January preventing the LAPD from deploying 40 mm launchers — another category of less lethal weapon — in any crowd control scenarios.
California enacted restrictions in 2021 limiting the use of such weapons until other methods of crowd control have been attempted first. Officers are prohibited from firing “indiscriminately” into groups of people or targeting the head, neck, or other vital body parts. The weapons also cannot be used solely for curfew violations, verbal confrontations with police, or failure to follow officer commands.
