The U.S. Courthouse at 350 W. First Street in Los Angeles, where the federal trial in Slade Douglas’ lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and two LAPD officers was held. (Photo: Daniel L. Lu)
A federal judge has rejected an effort by the City of Los Angeles and two LAPD officers to overturn or reduce a $6.6 million jury award to U.S. Army Veteran Slade Douglas.
U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ruled Aug. 26 that the trial record contained enough evidence to support the damages and declined to order a new trial. The decision followed post-trial challenges from the city and officers Jeffrey Yabana and Jeremy Wheeler, who questioned two negligence claims, alleged inconsistencies in the jury’s findings, and argued that the compensatory award was excessive.
Frimpong rejected most of those arguments, finding that Douglas had sufficiently presented his negligence claims under the California Government Claims Act and that the evidence supported the jury’s negligence per se finding. She also determined that the verdict was not fatally inconsistent and that the damages were supported by the record.
Jurors awarded Douglas $2 million for past physical pain, emotional suffering, and loss of liberty, along with another $4 million for future noneconomic losses. They also awarded $89,000 for past medical expenses and $527,000 for future medical expenses.
In challenging those amounts, the defendants argued that the award went beyond what the evidence supported. Frimpong disagreed, pointing to testimony from Douglas and medical professionals about anxiety, difficulty sleeping, intrusive thoughts, isolation, strained relationships, and depression following the 2019 encounter. One physician testified that progress Douglas had made before the incident had been reversed, while another diagnosed him with severe major depressive disorder.
The judge concluded that the evidence supported both the $6 million in noneconomic damages and the $616,000 awarded for medical expenses.
Frimpong did side with the city on one portion of the case after finding a legal error in the jury instruction involving Douglas’ negligent supervision claim. She granted judgment to the defendants on that claim, but the decision did not reduce the damages because the jury had not divided its award among individual causes of action.
The Aug. 26 ruling also addressed Douglas’ request for attorneys’ fees and costs. Frimpong awarded $1,704,139 in attorneys’ fees and $18,598.06 in costs after reviewing billing records and defendants’ objections. The court could still consider additional deposition costs after further documentation is submitted.
The case stems from Douglas’ 2019 detention by LAPD officers after a crisis hotline report about a potentially suicidal person. A federal jury later found liability on seven claims, including First Amendment retaliation, unreasonable seizure, false imprisonment, negligence, and an Americans with Disabilities Act violation.
The court entered final judgment in January for $6.789 million, which included the $6.616 million compensatory award and $173,000 in punitive damages against Yabana and Wheeler. The Aug. 26 decision leaves that damages award intact, rejects the defendants’ request for another trial, and adds more than $1.7 million in attorneys’ fees and costs.
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Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted family connection to the military, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.