Slade Douglas, pictured third from left, was represented during the trial by attorneys Na’Shaun Neal, Lauren McRae, and Peter Carr. (Photo: Wave Publications)
UPDATE: The California Legionnaire has edited this article to better reflect the case.
A federal jury has awarded $6.8 million in damages to Slade Douglas, a U.S. Army Veteran, following a lawsuit stemming from a 2019 encounter with Los Angeles police officers that began as a welfare check and ended with his forced hospitalization.
The verdict concludes a seven-year legal case involving the City of Los Angeles and officers Jeremy R. Wheeler and Jeffrey H. Yabana. Douglas alleged the officers unlawfully detained him, retaliated against him for asserting his rights, and subjected him to involuntary medical treatment without consent.
The incident occurred on Aug. 27, 2019, after Douglas contacted the VA to report what he described as racial discrimination during a phone call with a hotline operator. According to court records and testimony, Douglas allowed the officers into his home but later asked them to leave after they began searching without his consent. When the officers refused, Douglas called 911. Body-worn camera footage showed one officer telling Douglas that calling 911 in front of police was “the worst thing you can do.”
Douglas was then handcuffed and transported to PIH Good Samaritan Hospital. The lawsuit alleged that officers coordinated with medical staff to justify the detention by reporting false medical concerns. Douglas was restrained, sedated, and subjected to toxicology testing despite repeatedly refusing consent. A catheter was also inserted as part of the testing, which Douglas testified caused injury.
Medical records later showed no drugs or alcohol in Douglas’s system. He was released after approximately seven hours in custody.
The jury found that Douglas posed no threat and that officers lacked probable cause to detain or arrest him. Attorneys for Douglas argued the actions constituted retaliation for asserting his constitutional rights and calling 911. The jury rejected the city’s claim that the officers acted in good faith during a welfare check.
Speaking on Roland Martin Unfiltered following the verdict, Douglas said the outcome reflected growing public frustration with abuses of authority. His attorney, Lauren McRae, said evidence presented at trial showed the city was aware of one officer’s prior disciplinary and fitness for duty issues.
U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong presided over the case. Douglas was represented by civil rights attorneys Peter Carr, Lauren McRae, and Na’Shaun Neal. The original lawsuit sought $30 million in damages.
City officials have not yet announced whether they plan to appeal the verdict.
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.
In the case of Army veteran Slade Douglas, who was awarded $6.8 million in January 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) played a central role by initiating the chain of events through what legal filings characterized as a “government-sanctioned swatting”.
According to court records and legal claims, the VA’s involvement included:
Retaliatory Reporting: An employee of the VA’s Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) allegedly made a false report of suicidal ideation against Douglas. This occurred after Douglas had filed a formal discrimination complaint against the VA with the President of the United States.
False Allegations: The VA contacted the LAPD to request a wellness check based on these manufactured claims, intentionally labeling Douglas a threat despite no evidence of a mental health crisis.
Destruction of Evidence: According to disclosures from the National Archives and Records Administration, the VCL intentionally deleted recordings of the phone calls from that day. These recordings reportedly contained the false suicide claims used to trigger the police response.
Inter-Agency Conflict: Douglas’s legal team argued that the VA used government resources to “silence” a veteran advocate. The lawsuit alleged that the VA’s actions transcended local jurisdiction, forming an inter-agency conspiracy that violated Douglas’s constitutional rights.