Latest news with #Espejo
Los Angeles Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Law enforcement violating rules on less-lethal weapons in ICE protests, critics say
Sergio Espejo didn't come to Los Angeles with activism in mind. He planned to visit a friend as he had done many times in the past. Except, this summer the city was engulfed in protests, sparked by a series of ICE raids in early June. This time, he said, he came 'to support my fellow immigrants. 'I don't think it's right that we're being targeted in places where we should be safe.' Espejo was one of the estimated 200,000 people who attended the 'No Kings' protest in downtown L.A. on June 14. He described the protesters as being largely peaceful. People were dancing, playing music, waving Mexican and American flags, he said, and 'exercising their 1st Amendment rights as Americans.' At 4 p.m., Espejo walked to L.A. City Hall, seeing a line of LAPD and L.A. Sheriff's Department officers on the building's steps. By 5 p.m. the sheriff's department began firing tear gas, foam projectiles, and pepper spray, attempting to disperse the crowd. Then a projectile hit Espejo and exploded. 'I saw parts of my finger fly off into the side of the street,' Espejo said. The flash bang device that changed Espejo's life was a 'less lethal' weapon. The category includes tear gas and pepper balls, which were first used by law enforcement after World War I and deployed during strikes and political actions in the 1920s and '30s. Rubber bullets were created by the British army to quell protesters in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Typically, these weapons were used to enforce order without using live ammunition. However, these tools have been a source of controversy since their inception, with lawyers, activists and academics claiming they're used too frequently and have devastating effects on targets. After Espejo was hit, he said, he ran west on Temple Street, hand bleeding, shouting for help. Bystanders called for a medic, and he was taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery. His left index finger was amputated. A data engineer, Espejo can no longer type with his left hand. Worse, he said, he is no longer able to draw. 'My passion is drawing, that's how I express myself, and I can't do that anymore,' Espejo said. In a civil rights claim filed against the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the city of Los Angeles, Espejo says sheriff's deputies 'used flash bangs, thrown at Plaintiff's face, along with other less lethal munitions,' and 'it caused Plaintiff to suffer multiple injuries.' 'What happened to Mr. Espejo is not an isolated act of misconduct. It reflects a broader and deeply troubling pattern in which the Sheriff's Department has repeatedly responded to peaceful protest with militarized violence,' reads the claim submitted to the city of Los Angeles on June 19. The claim also critiques pervasive use of less-lethal weapons. 'These weapons—intended only for highly limited use by trained personnel in situations involving immediate threats—have instead been used indiscriminately, often without urgency, warning, or legal justification.' The L.A. County Sheriff's Department declined to discuss the case but said all use-of-force incidents are reviewed and evaluated by department executives, according to a written statement. 'The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) requires all deputies to undergo extensive training in the use of less lethal force upon graduation from the basic academy and continuing throughout their service,' the department wrote. The same statement listed the ways officers are taught to use less-lethal weapons, from an eight-hour class in patrol school, to mandatory refresher courses each year. 'We do not use less lethal tools indiscriminately; we only use them when de-escalation measures have been exhausted and when Deputies, other members of law enforcement, or innocent citizens are being attacked and assaulted with items such as bricks, stones, mortars, and Molotov Cocktails,' the sheriff's department wrote. According to the department's use-of-force policy, such materials should be used only 'when objectively reasonable given the circumstances.' The same rules state that officers who use excessive force will face discipline or prosecution. But activists and attorneys say officers in the LAPD and LASD aren't abiding by their own rules. The ACLU of Southern California has an open form for people who were injured by law enforcement or federal agents during the anti-ICE protests. In the two weeks after the initial protests, the ACLU said it was contacted by 250 people who claimed to have either been harmed, or witnessed someone being harmed, by police and federal officers, the organization said in a statement. The organization did not share details of the responses. There have been 59 complaints filed against the Los Angeles Police Department since June 1 related to use of force, the LAPD told The Times in a written statement. 'We call on the city of Los Angeles, we call on the mayor, we call on our police chief: get your officers under control, have them comply with the law,' said civil rights attorney James DeSimone at a June 25 news conference. DeSimone is representing three clients: Miguel Mendoza, Atlachinolli Tezcacoatl, and Daisy Bravo. All three attended the anti-ICE protest in downtown L.A. on June 8, according to claims for damages DeSimone filed against the city, and all suffered injuries from less-lethal projectiles. Mendoza and Bravo spoke to reporters on June 25. Tezcacoatl remained silent, DeSimone speaking for him. After being hit in the face by a projectile, Tezcacoatl's jaw was wired shut. Mendoza was in Koreatown visiting a friend while anti-ICE protests swept across L.A. A content creator, he began to notice other influencers posting about a City Hall protest on June 8. A first-generation son of Mexican immigrants, Mendoza believed that attending was something he had to do. 'I was born here ... in California, in the Bay Area. I have to stand up for my beliefs,' Mendoza said in a interview. Mendoza was among the thousands who marched to City Hall that day. At approximately 6 p.m., after police had already begun using batons and less-lethal projectiles to push back the crowd, Mendoza was looking through photos of the event he had taken on his phone. All at once, Mendoza's felt the sudden shock of impact, and his ears began ringing. 'And then I, like, looked down, and blood is just gushing out of my face, and my hands are just covered, like they're all red,' he said. Mendoza had been struck in the face by a less-lethal projectile. According to Mendoza's claim, the LAPD 'intentionally and/or recklessly subjected Mr. Mendoza to physical injuries and pain by shooting these projectiles at him or indiscriminately in his direction.' 'They broke my nose on both sides, there was acute fractures to my cheek, my cheekbone, there was a deep laceration where the rubber bullet almost went completely through,' said Mendoza, who first went to the PIH Urgent Care Center Westlake, then Glendale Memorial Hospital. 'I think they did a total of seven stitches.' 'LAPD is absolutely violating their own policies, as well as the United States Constitution as well as state law,' DeSimone said in an interview. The LAPD declined to comment on Mendoza's claims. Signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, Assembly Bill 48 places prohibitions on the use of less-lethal weapons, The law says such weaponry can only be used by law enforcement to defend against physical threats or to bring dangerous situations under control. Such weapons cannot be fired indiscriminately into crowds, or aimed at the head, neck, or any other vital organs, according to Section 2 of the bill. This legislation came in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests, in which thousands marched across Los Angeles demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality. According to an analysis by the L.A Times, police actions related to these protests cost $11.9 million in settlements and jury awards. Law enforcement use of less-lethal weapons and general protest tactics were a source of scrutiny then, and later the cause of mass retraining for LAPD officers. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, more than 500 people have been arrested for protest-related activity in Los Angeles from June 7 to June 15. Charges range from assault to obstruction, and unlawful assembly. Others have been charged with use of Molotov cocktails against sheriff's deputies and throwing bricks at federal law enforcement. Pastor Stephen 'Cue' Jn-Marie was an organzier during the Floyd protests, and he witnessed the policy changes being implemented in L.A. law enforcement. But during the anti-ICE protests, he said, law enforcement has begun 'reverting back to their old ways.' 'I saw a brother who showed me his scar that he'd received from from a projectile, a rubber bullet. The first thing they did was they started gassing folks,' Jn-Marie said. Law enforcement's response to the protests erodes the public trust, he said, and the Trump administration's use of the National Guard has roiled many in the region. 'How can you be protecting us when you've got guns and and they're pointed at us?' he asked. Mendoza only recently started eating solid foods again, although he still finds it painful. Even as his physical condition improves, Mendoza said, he expects the mental impact of the incident will be long-lasting. 'I'm already looking into therapy as well,' he said. 'When I'm in crowds, now is a little bit different. When I see officers, it's a little bit different. Even to a security guard, it's a little bit different.'
GMA Network
24-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Alas Men survive New Zealand to close out AVC Nations Cup run in 10th place
Alas Pilipinas Men won't be going home empty-handed after eking out a 25-16, 23-25, 25-11, 25-22 win against New Zealand in their battle for 10th spot in the AVC Men's Nations Cup on Tuesday in Bahrain. The four-set escape marked the Filipinos' first victory in the 11-nation tournament as they went winless in the elimination round and bowed to Thailand in the classification phase. Opposite hitter Steven Rotter led the charge with 20 points anchored on 17 attacks, two aces, and one block laced with seven digs while outside spikers Louie Ramirez and Marck Espejo chipped in 14 markers apiece. After splitting the first two sets, the Philippines surged ahead in a dominant Set 3, with Ramirez leading the charge and firing an ace that extended Alas' lead to 17-8 before Espejo completed a combination play for a 24-11 cushion. New Zealand then committed one of its 31 errors, allowing the Philippines to move a set away from winning it. A Lloyd Josafat quick attack saw Alas taking a 20-15 advantage in the crucial Set 4, but the world no. 66 New Zealand staged a rally courtesy of a 5-1 rampage capped by a service ace from Seth Grant, 20-21. Espejo, though, stopped the bleeding for Alas by unloading back-to-back attacks from the left side while middle blocker Peng Taguibolos punctuated it with a quick play. Taguibolos finished with seven points while veteran setter Joshua Retamar and Josafat each tallied four markers. Grant top-scored New Zealand with 13 points on 10 attacks, two aces, and one block while Andrew Salmon chimed in with 12 markers as they finished last in the contest. —JMB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
12-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Alas Pilipinas Men outlast Thailand, complete sweep of Invitationals
The Alas Pilipinas Men outlasted the Thailand national team, 21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12, on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to complete a sweep of the Invitationals. After Thailand led 3-1 in the final set, the nationals made a 4-0 run to take the lead, before Leo Ordiales' attack went out. He made up for it however by scoring back-to-back to take a 7-4 lead. The Thais eventually caught up and led 10-9 before the Philippines made a 3-0 run capped by a Marck Espejo ace. The national team veteran had a service error but Buds Buddin came in clutch to put the Philippines at match point. Thailand salvaged one before Espejo punctuated the match. Espejo led Alas' offense with 31 points from 24 attacks, 6 aces, and a block, while Louie Ramirez and Steven Rotter had 15 and 13 points, respectively. Amorntep Konhan led the Thais with 25 points, while Chaiwat Thungkham and Kissada Nilsawai had 17 and 13 points, respectively. Earlier, Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi defeated the Hyundai Capital Skywalkers in five sets as well, 22-25, 25-12, 25-23, 20-25, 15-11. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
11-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Marck Espejo, Alas Men dominate reigning Korean V. League champs
The Philippines subdued another Asian powerhouse, pulling off a 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20 win against reigning Korean V. League champion Hyundai Capital Skywalkers in the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Team captain Marck Espejo, who played sparingly in their Tuesday clash against Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi, took the lead this time around after churning out 20 points on 17 attacks, two aces, and one block. The win sent the Philippines to a spotless 2-0 card in the three-day tournament aimed to serve as the country's test event for the hosting of the FIVB Men's World Championship in September. Espejo got huge help from the young ones in the crucial fourth set with Ken Batas and Leo Ordiales leading a 9-4 rampage that gave Alas a 14-9 cushion. But the Skywalkers, who have just dethroned the Incheon Korean Air Jumbos in the Korean V. League, retaliated with a 5-1 run of their own to slice the gap to one. Batace then answered with two pivotal points, including a strong service ace, before middle blocker Peng Taguibolos poured back-to-back quick attacks that allowed the hosts to secure a 23-19 lead. Espejo soared from the back row, sending a bullet to zone one to hand the Philippines the match point at 24-19 while a service error from the Koreans sealed the win altogether. Alas will close out the invitationals on Thursday where it will lock horns with powerhouse Thailand national team. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hawaii set to pay $750,000 in wrongful death settlement
COURTESY PHOTO Delmar Espejo : The 28-year-old was shot by a sheriff's deputy at the state Capitol in 2019 COURTESY PHOTO Delmar Espejo : The 28-year-old was shot by a sheriff's deputy at the state Capitol in 2019 The state Legislature is expected to approve a $750, 000 settlement in the 2019 wrongful shooting death of an unarmed, disabled, homeless man by an on-duty state deputy sheriff, who was not criminally held responsible but since faces scrutiny in the deaths of two more people in 2021 and 2022 while a police officer in San Diego. Delmar Espejo, 28, was shot in the back at close range and killed on Feb. 18, 2019, at the state Capitol rotunda by former Deputy Sheriff Gregory Bergman. The victim's family filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against the state and Bergman on Feb. 17, 2021. A jury awarded $2.27 million to Espejo's mother, Cresencia Espejo, including $1.52 million in punitive damages. The shooting of Espejo was the 12th in a string of 16 shootings by Oahu law enforcement officers from 2018 to March 2019, eight of them deadly. The fatal shootings by Bergman and a second by a prison guard in March 2019 were the first fatal shootings in at least the previous 10 years by Department of Public Safety officers. The state sought to overturn both the jury's verdict and a judge's findings and conclusions against the state and Bergman, who left Hawaii shortly after Espejo was killed. He became a police officer in San Diego, where he was involved in the shooting of a suicidal man ; the other, a man shot in the back, on his knees allegedly surrendering. Bergman was never held criminally responsible for Espejo's death. The Department of the Attorney General in September 2019 cleared him, saying there was insufficient evidence to charge him, despite the Honolulu Police Department having opened a second-degree murder case after an autopsy revealed Espejo was shot in the back at close range. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. The AG spokesperson at the time said the Attorney General's Office reached its conclusion by relying on HPD's preliminary findings and did not conduct its own investigation. After the verdict in the civil case, the state and Bergman, who claimed self-defense, had filed a motion for a new trial, but instead a closed settlement conference was held Feb. 6. The parties reached a confidential agreement. The state's $750, 000 portion was made public when it sought approval by the Legislature in House Bill 990 with other judgments against the state and settlement of claims. The Department of the Attorney General did not respond to requests for comment. On the evening of Feb. 18, 2019, Bergman was making his rounds and encountered Espejo, who had been drinking alcohol at about 8 :20 p.m. at the Ewa-makai corner of the state Capitol rotunda. At a news conference the following day, then-Public Safety Director Nolan Espinda told the public the shooting resulted from an 'extreme struggle ' between a deputy sheriff and Espejo, who refused to dispense of his drink container, was combative and failed to obey numerous commands to stop fighting. Instead of waiting for backup, the deputy got up close enough to Espejo so that according to Espinda's narrative, Espejo wrapped his arms around the deputy sheriff who, at over 6 feet 2 inches tall and 205 pounds, towered above the 5-foot-3, 117-pound shooting victim. Espinda said that's when the deputy's gun discharged and killed Espejo. Espejo walked with a limp and had withered legs from congenital polio as a child, which required surgery, his family and his family's attorney, Myles Breiner, said. Espinda said there was no surveillance footage of the shooting at the state Capitol, despite numerous security cameras there. Circuit Court jurors, in an overwhelming majority—11 to 1—found Nov. 29 that punitive damages in the amount of $1.52 million should be awarded to Espejo's mother and against Bergman. Jurors found that compensatory and /or general damages of $750, 000 should also go to Espejo's mother. The majority of jurors, 10 to 2, found Bergman was negligent in his use of force. But a majority did not find that, based on the evidence, Bergman used excessive / unreasonable force, and none found he committed battery on Espejo. The jury unanimously found the state breached its duties to properly train and /or supervise Bergman. Circuit Judge Dean Ochiai, in his Jan. 10 findings of fact and conclusions of law, awarded $750, 000 in general damages to Cresencia Espe jo, 'in which Bergman and the State of Hawaii are jointly and severally liable.' The judge found Bergman violated training, department policy on use of force, failed to wait for backup, failed to remain 6 feet away, and shot Espejo in the back while pushing him down onto his stomach. The lawsuit was initially filed against the state, Public Safety Department, Sheriff Division, Bergman in his individual capacity and Public Safety Director Nolan Espin da individually and in his official capacity. The judge found Bergman, who had been a deputy sheriff for less than two years, called but failed to wait for backup. He confronted Espejo for drinking alcohol, a petty misdemeanor, and ordered him to pour out the drink. 'From the time Bergman reached toward Espejo to force him to pour out the bottle in less than 1 minute, (he ) had shot Espejo in his upper back, ' the judge said. An Internal Affairs investigator and Bergman testified he had at least six opportunities to call for backup and maintain a 6-foot distance and use a baton or pepper spray, but instead rushed to tackle Espejo for refusing to pour out the drink. 'While pushing Espejo down onto his stomach, Bergman discharged one round into the unarmed Espejo's back, ' the judge found. The judge quoted Bergman's testimony as to why he did not follow the department's crisis intervention training that avoids injury to officer and citizens and the need to deescalate and wait for backup. Bergman said, 'I thought I could take him, ' according to the Internal Affairs investigator's testimony. The court also found that numerous items of evidence, which should have been in the state's custody and control, were lost. They include footage from eight HPD body cameras, Bergman's interview with HPD and video footage from the state Capitol. The San Diego Police Department confirmed with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that Bergman was hired in 2019 shortly after the Hawaii shooting, but would not respond to questions concerning the San Diego shootings, nor whether he is in good standing. The California Department of Justice is investigating Bergman and another officer in the Dec. 8, 2022, shooting of John Ray Romero, the Office of the Attorney General's website shows. In that case, Romero had a gun pointed to his own head when police arrived, according to news reports. He asked police to shoot him. Bergman and another officer reportedly did. In a July 23, 2021, case, Bergman was one of two officers involved in the shooting death of Jesus Veleta, a 22-year-old armed man who was shot in the back. The Veleta family filed a $20 million legal claim against San Diego County, alleging Veleta was in the process of surrendering and was on his knees with his back turned when he was shot. The complaint accuses the officers of using excessive and lethal force. The San Diego County District Attorney's Office had previously cleared Bergman and the other officer of criminal liability. The DA's report said Veleta stumbled and fell, and officers ordered him to drop the gun. He 'raised it up behind him back towards the officers.' Officers fired and struck him in the back. 'Veleta threw his handgun in front of him as the officers discharged their weapons, ' the report said. The DA concluded Veleta ignored multiple commands to drop the gun and made no indications he was going to surrender, and that the officers reasonably believed he would shoot them unless they fired.
