A USC undergraduate sued the city of Los Angeles Wednesday, alleging in federal court that his constitutional rights were violated when he was struck with a "less lethal" Los Angeles Police Department projectile during protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
Boston Moreland was hit the night of April 24 near the campus by a projectile fired by an unknown LAPD officer while filming the police with his phone, according to the lawsuit alleging civil rights violations.
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"He was not doing anything violent or disruptive," according to his attorney, Thomas Seabaugh. "The projectile struck him in the stomach, leaving a large, lasting bruise."
The complaint contends that the shooting constituted excessive force and also a violation of Moreland's right to free speech and assembly under state and federal law, Seabaugh said.
An LAPD spokesman said the department does not comment on pending litigation.
In a statement, Moreland said he was lucky the projectile did not hit him in the hand or the eye, "or my visit to the ER could've been far worse."
The valedictorian of his high school and current USC senior, Boston said he joined other students on campus to protest the Israel-Hamas conflict.
"I hope this lawsuit will help ensure that students like me can exercise their right to protest without being hit with a potentially deadly projectile," Moreland said.
Seabaugh said such projectiles "are not toys, they can cause very serious injuries. If you are struck in the mouth, it can knock out your teeth. If you are hit in the eye, it can blind or kill you. Students have a right to exercise their right to free speech and assembly on a public walkway without fear of being hit with one of these things for no reason."
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