Man claims Glendale police assaulted him at park, files claim

A 19-year-old Glendale man has filed a claim against multiple Glendale police officers who he alleged beat and choked him during an arrest at Palmer Park.

Christian Geris is seeking $13,668 for medical expenses, which he claims were the result of traumatic injuries suffered during the alleged assault.

Several calls to his attorney, Arthur Barens, were not returned as of Thursday.

Given that the city had just recently received the claim, City Atty. Mike Garcia said he declined to comment on the matter until had he more time to review it.

Geris was arrested July 2 when police said he allegedly refused to allow a body search for narcotics and fought with them. He allegedly struck one officer in the chest during the arrest, according to police.

Officers were observing Palmer Park after receiving complaints from residents about graffiti and narcotics activity in the bathrooms, according to police. Geris allegedly walked out of the bathroom, lifted his shirt and placed his right hand into his waistband, according to police.

Geris eventually lessened his resistance and was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, battery on an officer and possessing a glass pipe to smoke methamphetamine, police said.

But Geris alleges the officers started throwing punches after commanding him to the ground as he exited the restroom, according to his claim, which was filed Dec. 28.

He alleges he was beaten while handcuffed and jailed for a crime he didn’t commit.

While in-custody at the Glendale police jail, he was taken to Glendale Adventist Medical Center and seen by doctors.

Geris suffered a head injury and bruises to his face and hands — all of which didn’t appear serious, according to the Glendale Adventist Medical Center records that he submitted as part of his claim.

While the hospital’s emergency doctors indicated in their records that they didn’t see a displaced fracture, they noticed Geris had “slight irregularity” in his right nasal bone, according to the claim.

According to Los Angeles County Superior Court records, Geris has been charged with one count of possessing drug paraphernalia and one count of resisting arrest.

That case is still pending.

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