[Watch] City of Los Angeles is being sued by two brothers after an officer crashed into them at 80 mph
Stephen and Richard Paper, two brothers in their 70s, ran errands together last summer when everything changed. Officer Jason Stevenson sped through the intersection at 80 mph and t-boned the Toyota Camry they were driving.
The officer’s cruiser, traveling at double the speed limit without lights or sirens, crashed into the brothers, leaving them with substantial injuries and a totaled vehicle.
Due to the severity of their injuries and the damage to the Camry, the two are suing the LAPD for monetary loss and emotional distress. Their lawyer, Robert S. Glassman, released footage of the crash from the officer’s dash camera to the media last week to emphasize the intensity and carelessness.
It showed the cruiser was indeed speeding without lights and sirens and unveiled shocking dialogue from the officer.
“I wasn’t even in pursuit, I was just trying to catch up,” he said in the video.
Glassman thinks the brothers have a compelling case
The Paper’s attorney is confident the department doesn’t have much to stand on in defense, especially learning the context for Stevenson’s speeding.
“What makes this crash so ironic and stupid is that this officer at the time was assigned to patrol this area for street racing. He was part of the street racing task force,” he told NBC. An LAPD investigation report read the officer was responding to a call about a car with an illegally loud exhaust.
It also noted that if Stevenson were traveling at the posted speed, he would have been able to stop in time before hitting the brothers.
“I mean, you watch that , and you realize how unbelievably reckless and dangerous [the officer’s] driving was,” continued Glassman. “Not only are [Stephen and Richard] in tremendous physical pain, really from head to toe and their lives are completely different, but mentally, they are obviously and very understandably and sad about how their lives are now.”
Since the condition of the two brothers, even several months later is still critical, Glassman is petitioning the courts to speed up the litigation process.
