Woman Sues for $10 Million on Chokehold

A female body builder filed a $10-million lawsuit Monday against the City of Anaheim and Police Officer Charles Knight.

Teagan Clive, 29, of Venice alleges that Knight violated her civil rights by placing her in a chokehold during an argument at the Anaheim Convention Center on April 20. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeks $5 million in general damages and $5 million in punitive damages. It alleges that Knight “approached, accosted, grabbed and placed a carotid chokehold” on Clive.

A photograph of Knight holding Clive, taken by a free-lance photographer at the Anaheim Convention Center, appeared on the Oct. 5 edition of Channel 7’s “Eye on L.A.,” according to a spokesman for the show. The spokesman said the photo was taken outside a women’s bathroom at the convention center.

Clive and her attorney, Stephen Yagman, could not be reached for comment late Monday.

“All I can say is there was no complaint filed with our department because it would routinely have been investigated,” said Sgt. Ron Girk of the Anaheim Police Department’s internal affairs division. “And we haven’t done any internal investigation.” Girk said he couldn’t comment on Clive’s lawsuit.

Sheri Erlewine, Anaheim public information officer, said that, according to City Atty. Jack White, “The city definitely has not been served with a complaint. We’ve not received anything on it.”