Mother Who Was Punched Twice In the Face By an L.A. Sheriff Deputy While Holding Her 3-Week-Old Baby Sues, Says She Was Breastfeeding When Cops Pulled Car Over

A California lady filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in opposition to Los Angeles County and a number of other unnamed sheriff’s deputies, claiming they used extreme pressure when arresting her throughout a 2022 visitors cease.

The criticism comes after a newly launched video reveals the officers roughing her up whereas she had her then-3-week-old child in her arms.

Her son is called as a plaintiff within the lawsuit obtained by Atlanta Black Star.

Attorneys filed the lawsuit on behalf of Yeayo Russell and her little one listed solely as D.F. on July 24, days after Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna condemned considered one of his former deputies for punching a girl in her face a number of occasions as she held her toddler little one in her arms.

The general public lambasting got here after footage of the incident was launched by the sheriff’s division on July 14, a yr after the incident occurred.

Lawyer Jamon Hicks addressed a central allegation within the lawsuit, saying the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division “has had a observe and a customized of utilizing extreme pressure in opposition to Antelope Valley residents, particularly utilizing pressure in opposition to Black ladies,” CNN studies.

The incident occurred within the metropolis of Palmdale when deputies pulled over a automobile driving at evening with out headlights on July 13, 2022. The officers’ bodycam recorded that incident that started round midnight.

Luna reported that the deputies detected an odor of alcohol in the course of the cease. The automobile was carrying a complete of 4 females and three infants, together with Russell and her little one, all as passengers. T

he male driver was discovered to have a suspended license and was arrested on DUI and felony little one endangerment fees. Deputies had found three ladies within the automobile had been holding the infants of their arms as a substitute of utilizing automobile seats, and so they additionally had been arrested on felony little one endangerment fees. A kind of ladies was Russell.

In accordance with attorneys, Russell was breastfeeding her child moments earlier than the deputies stopped the automobile and subsequently arrested her.

The lawsuit says the deputies even tugged on her child’s leg earlier than taking the kid away and detaining Russell, who was thrown into jail.

“This case is about extra than simply punches. It’s about the way in which the deputies handled this mom,” Hicks stated.

In her criticism, she claims that she was compelled to do away with her breast milk earlier than spending 4 days in jail.  As soon as locked up, Russell says she had “no thought the place her little one was or if it was OK.”

The civil go well with doesn’t specify a selected financial quantity for damages sought. As an alternative, it alleges that the deputies concerned within the arrest violated the Fourth Modification’s safeguards in opposition to unreasonable search and seizure. It additionally factors on the metropolis alleging, “Municipal Legal responsibility – Unconstitutional Customized, Apply or Coverage and Municipal Legal responsibility – Failure to Correctly Prepare.”

“I don’t assume there’s any query there’s an issue between Los Angeles County and Antelope Valley residents,” Hicks stated in keeping with the Los Angeles Instances, stating that it took a yr earlier than the bodycam video to be launched “reveals the mentality of the county sheriffs in that space.”