Tonight, the family of Ryan Melendez has gotten a lawyer. He's the 22 year old who was pistol-whipped by a police officer on San Pedro on Saturday night. They want to sue the police for violating their son's rights - and Melendez has also requested court action against Sergeant Devon Makin.
We learned more from attorney David McKoy - himself a former senior police officer - who is now representing the family:
David McKoy, Attorney for Melendez
"The family is extremely, dissatisfied, disheartened about the entire process because from what has been said by the commissioner, that is a completely different narrative that the family has. Ahm, basically the individual, was on his way home and, he saw this police officer who the video shows have assaulted him, which is an aggravated assault by the way."
"This police officer is to allegedly have been harassing a minor. And so the individual who was assaulted, basically intervened and told the police officer, this is from the accounts of the family, from Mr.. Melendez that he was basically trying to say, hey, you know, you don't have to go on like that with the person."
"And that's when apparently the police turned on him."
"So it was not a matter of being chased, or he chasing anyone with any firearms, mask or chasing any children, as have been said."
"And it is very - for lack of a better word - reprehensible to see a person has both hands on his head being held by police and kicked, then afterwards pistol whipped."
"That firearm could have gone off. It could have been far more serious, more alarming than it is currently."
"The the family of the the client intend to to take legal action and to seek redress from the courts to, to to have this matter ventilated properly because unfortunately, they, they have indicated they have made reports to the internal department that deals with it, the professional standard branch, but again, we're not casting any aspersions but at the top of the helm is the commissioner and he bears coercive powers over everybody in the department. So if you I don't want to say that nothing won't get done. But there's a fear that nothing will be done and it's a reasonable fear to have."
McKoy also relied on his experience as a former police officer - and referred to what he perceives as less than equitable public treatment of the police man accused in this case:
David McKoy, Attorney for Melendez
"You and I know that on the one hand, there are police officers who may come in contact with conflict with the law, and they will be seriously reprimanded and it will sufficiently be ventilated in their public domain."
"And you will hear there is zero tolerance for this type of behavior. You'll get the full works, full transparency, the image of the department needs to be clear, right? So in that same vein, the family would request or would like for this person to be treated in that manner. This police officer who committed that, I would say, unjustifiable action."
"It is not justifiable because that person was, that was not posing any threat. This person has his back turned, he was kicked and then he was complying."
"So, it is unfair and unfortunate that this matter has reached to this stage where you would have someone in authority trying to do damage control for what we call, in law, Res ipsa loquitur, the thing speaks for itself."
"A lot of police officers would not have done that, because in in colloquial terms, puss luck da noh like dog luck, right? So, what you might get away with, this next person won't get away with. Because you know they noh deh wid you,"
We did ask the Commissioner to comment on Mckoy's remarks - but up to news time, he had not reached back to us.
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