$10 million claim filed against city of Los Angeles

A $10 million dollar claim has been filed against the city of Los  Angeles alleging that police opened fire and killed Maurice Leroy Cox,  Jr., 37,  who was seen running from his pick up truck on the evening of  March 1.
Cox, whose pickup truck crashed into a palm tree, was  allegedly chased and gunned down by police after exiting his vehicle.  The claim alleges that Cox was fired at by LAPD officers nearly 30 times  after exiting his car near Crenshaw Boulevard and 57th Street.
An  official statement from the LAPD website states that when officers  approached Coxs vehicle, they noticed Cox reaching for the glove  compartment. According to police reports, Cox told police to move away  from the vehicle or he would kill them. Police said that Cox barricaded  himself in his truck and refused to exit. After exiting his vehicle 20  minutes later, police said Cox pointed what appeared to be a weapon.  A  chase between Cox and the police ensued which resulted in Coxs shooting  death.
A news conference to announce the claim was held Monday at  the Beverly Hills law office of Attorney Carl E. Douglas. The claim,  filed for Coxs wife, Laura Michelle Cox, lists wrongful death, assault  and battery, negligence, conspiracy, violation of federal and state  civil rights and anti-discrimination acts.
Alex Alonso, a doctoral  candidate at the University of Southern California, videotaped the  incident which Douglas aired for the news media.  At one point the tape  becomes jumpy as the videographer runs down the street as he captures  the officers and Cox with his camera.
We are seeking witnesses to  come forward so we can find out the truth of what happened that night,  said Douglas. I am filing a claim of damages to put the city on  notice, said Douglas, who claims that Cox was the victim of excessive  use of  force by the police.
According to witnesses, Cox began  walking backwards after exiting his vehicle. I interviewed two  witnesses who said that Cox exited his car with nothing  in his hands,  said Cox. The videotape shows Mr. Cox outside his vehicle walking  backwardshe never made a threatening gesture.
Douglas allegess that  one or more LAPD officers opened fire on Cox with their handguns,  striking him two or three times in his upper torso.
Police are also  claiming that the fatal shooting was the result of suicide by cop. But  Douglas claims the shooting was a case of contagious fire, with one  officer firing after hearing another do so.
Cox  never went toward  officers. He ran away when they fired. I heard about 17 or 18 different  gunshots on camera, said Douglas. The officers chase him and then  stand over his fallen body, leaning down to handcuff him. Then you see  other officers approaching.
After Cox is shot, Douglas said that  several officers are depicted on the video holding their flashlights and  searching for a weapon on the tape. The police said they recovered a  cigarette lighter that Cox was holding at the time of the incident, not a  weapon, said Douglas.
Douglas, who said that the altercation  between Cox and the police was one of the worst hes ever seen, said  he was appalled by the LAPDs conduct.
They turned Crenshaw  Boulevard into a shooting gallery, much like youd see in a video arcade  and Cox became the target that night, said Douglas. People were seen  walking on the streets.  I really doubt that there would have been in  indiscriminate use of deadly force if this incident had happened in  another neighborhood like Westwood.
Douglas said that his office is  searching for two more witnesses who videotaped the incident but left  after the shooting. The attorney said he is hoping that the individuals  will come forward and contact his offices with the additional videotape.
The videotape also depicts one of the police officers waving away  Alonso as he filmed the incident. I understand that the videotape  doesnt show everything, but what I do see is a dangerous risk in our  community and a man whose only crime was being involved in a traffic  collision, said Douglas.  We hope that witnesses who saw the shooting  will come forward.
At the news conference, blown up photographs  depicted bullet holes fired at the scene. There were bullet holes found  near the tops of buildings and in trees near Slauson Avenue.  Officers  were shooting all over, said Douglas.
The attorney said that the  altercation between Cox and the LAPD was a graphic example of excessive  fire and use of deadly force. The policy of the LAPD is that they are  not privileged to use deadly force unless an officer feels his life is  in danger, Douglas asserted. Five police officers have been identified  who were involved in the shooting. They are white, Hispanic and black,  said Douglas.
I am greatly disturbed by this incident, said  Douglas.  I have been suing police officers for 20 years and I have not  seen such a shocking display of deadly force. This excessive use of  force goes against the teachings of the LAPD and other law enforcement  agencies in this country. There must be substantial training of police  officers in the use of deadly force, said Douglas.  A traffic  collision should not be punishable by death.