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Constitutional Law Keyed to Choper
Los Angeles v. Lyons
Citation:
461 U.S. 95 (1983)Facts
On October 6, 1976, at approximately 2 a.m., Adolph Lyons was pulled over by Los Angeles police officers for a traffic violation involving a burned-out taillight. Although Lyons offered no resistance or threat, the officers, without provocation, applied a chokehold that rendered him unconscious and caused damage to his larynx. Upon regaining consciousness, Lyons was lying face down on the ground, choking, gasping for air, and spitting up blood and dirt. He had also urinated and defecated involuntarily. The officers issued him a traffic citation and released him. In February 1977, Lyons filed a lawsuit seeking damages and injunctive relief against the City of Los Angeles and four police officers. Evidence showed that between 1975 and 1982, at least 16 people died following the application of chokeholds by LAPD officers, with 12 of the victims being Black males. The LAPD had authorized the use of chokeholds in situations where officers were not threatened by deadly force.
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