Los Angeles Police Department Officers are being accused of racial profiling during an arrest of a black man outside his home.
What We Know:
- Antone Austin, 42, says civil rights by racially profiling and wrongfully arresting him back in May 2019. At the time, he was mistaken for a man violating a restraining order, according to court documents provided by CNN. Austin was arrested while picking up garbage cans outside of his Hollywood home around three p.m. Police were responding to a call from a woman in regards to her ex-boyfriend and a restraining order violation.
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- During Katarina Richardson’s call to police, responding officers did not ask for a description of the suspect. Richardson witnessed the altercation between Austin and police officers and told them that Austin was not the perpetrator. Richardson’s boyfriend is reportedly much shorter than Austin and is bald. Her boyfriend is also a white man, and Austin is African-American.
- The City’s Attorney’s office has declined to comment on the incident. In the bodycam footage, Austin can be heard asking police officers who they were looking for, to which they responded, “I don’t know who I’m looking for yet.” After yelling for help, Austin’s girlfriend Michelle Michlewicz appeared from their house and began to question why the officers were placing him under arrest. Michlewicz and Austin were both taken to the police station and released on bail around three a.m the next day.
- Austin was originally charged with resisting arrest and battery on a police officer. This was eventually dropped to just resisting arrest with a $7,000 bond. Michlewicz was charged with felony lynching with a bond of $50,000. The couple has not been formally charged or had their charges dismissed. They have not had any of their bond money returned either.
The couple is now suing for unlawful seizure, battery, excessive force, failure to intervene, negligence, and civil rights violations. They are requesting $2 million, and a jury trial has been set for October.
