Federal judge rules in favor of man whose head was smashed against ground by Pasadena PD
[WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE] Judge rules in favor of man whose head was smashed against ground by Pasadena PD
[WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE] A federal judge ruled in favor of a man who was seen getting his head smashed against the ground during a brutal arrest by police in Pasadena. The ruling allows the suspect to move forward with his lawsuit that calls for the officers involved in the incident to be fired.
PASADENA, Calif. - A federal judge ruled in favor of a man who was seen getting his head smashed against the ground by police in Pasadena.
Back in 2017, Chris Ballew was pulled over by Pasadena Police Department officers over what Ballew's attorney says was over the car's tinted windows. The traffic stop took a violent and graphic turn as Ballew and two Pasadena PD gang unit officers Lerry Esparza and Zachary Lujan got into a violent struggle.
The officers hit Ballew with a baton and the suspect had his head get smashed against the ground in graphic videos from the Nov. 2017 incident. Ballew, who was 21 at the time, was arrested for felony assault.
The incident left Ballew with a broken leg, according to his attorney.
Since the incident, Ballew's attorney filed a lawsuit, demanding the two officers be fired. Years after the incident, Pasadena PD found the two officers' actions justifiable.
But fast-forward to November 2022, a federal judge rejected Pasadena PD's motion for summary judgment. With the judge's ruling, Ballew's lawsuit can move forward.
Ballew and his attorneys are scheduled to hold a press conference Wednesday, November 21 at 1 p.m. PT.