Glendale man sues city, police officers
A Glendale man is suing the city and several police officers, alleging he suffers frequent headaches after being slammed to the ground during his arrest at a social gathering in March.
Pierre Moradian, 20, claims he was wrongfully arrested and assaulted on March 2 after he asked Glendale police officers why they were detaining his friends who had been smoking outside a gathering at a local home, according to his lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“It’s ridiculous,” his attorney Mary Der-Parseghian said. “I don’t get what the motivation is from the officers for doing this.”
City Atty. Michael Garcia said his staff had not seen the lawsuit, so he wouldn’t comment on it.
Moradian’s friends were standing in the driveway of the home in the 3400 block of Oakmont View Drive, when they were suddenly approached by a female police officer who reportedly immediately ordered them to place their hands on their heads.
She then ordered members of the group to place their hands on a garage door and searched them for no apparent reason, according to the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, she reportedly called for additional help.
Nearly a dozen patrol cars, more than 20 officers and a helicopter arrived at the gathering of roughly 20 people, Der-Parseghian said.
“Eleven police cars, a helicopter and 23 police officers for what? Is this how city money is wasted?” she added.
That’s when Moradian stepped outside the home to question officers about the investigation.
He told the officers they “had no right” to detain his friends in the home’s driveway, which allegedly prompted officers to take him down to the ground, she said.
He was allegedly dragged from the driveway to a sidewalk, where he was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, even though his attorney said he wasn’t impaired.
“If it was a 50-year-old man, it would have been a lot worse,” Der-Parseghian said.
Soon after, he was booked into the department’s jail and remained in custody for six hours.
He was eventually released and was never charged with a crime, Der-Parseghian said
Still, the physical and emotional damages stemming from the incident have been lasting for Moradian, who is a college student and plans to study law, Der-Parseghian said.
Moradian has suffered from headaches and underwent an MRI exam of his head because he struck the sidewalk during the take-down, she said.
He is apparently a “nervous wreck” and is afraid because he “knows they can do anything,” Moradian’s attorney said.
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Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.
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