Cops left cancer patient in ‘severe’ pain day after surgery, suit says. City must pay
A cancer patient recovering from surgery was left in “severe” pain after he was repeatedly kneed in the groin and cited for an expired vehicle registration by police in California, according to a federal lawsuit.
Johnny Jackson of Long Beach accused three of the city’s police officers of using “brutal” force against him in his driveway in September 2022, one day after he underwent surgery for prostate cancer.
The encounter, which ended with his arrest, resulted in him urinating blood and needing emergency medical treatment two days later, according to his lawsuit filed in October 2023.
Now the city of Long Beach has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle the case, the man’s attorney, Adante Pointer, told McClatchy News.
“My firm is happy to get some form of acknowledgment of the wrong committed and compensation for Mr. Jackson after he went through such a humiliating and painful experience at the hands of Long Beach police,” Pointer said.
“They aggressively confronted, attacked and repeatedly kneed Mr. Jackson in the groin as he pleaded with the officers that he had just been released from the hospital for prostate surgery,” Pointer added.
The Long Beach City Council approved the settlement Jan. 16, principal deputy city attorney Howard Russell confirmed to McClatchy News.
“The settlement is not an admission of liability, and the City Attorney’s Office believes that the settlement amount is reasonable and fair to both Mr. Jackson and the City,” Russell said.
The Long Beach Police Department declined a request for comment from McClatchy News.
‘If you hurt me I will sue you’
While driving home on Sept. 3, 2022, an unmarked Long Beach Police Department patrol vehicle followed Jackson, according to his lawsuit.
When he pulled into his driveway, the police officers parked behind his car and approached him, a complaint says. Jackson had just returned home from Staples with a copy he made of his doctor’s note following his surgery.
As Jackson stepped out of his car holding the note, he told the three officers he knew he had a vehicle registration infraction, according to the complaint.
The officers ordered him to put his hands in the air, so Jackson listened and placed his doctor’s note on top of his car, the complaint says.
Then one officer told Jackson to put his hands behind his head a moment before the wind blew his doctor’s note off the car, police body camera footage published by the Long Beach Post shows.
As Jackson tried to secure the note, officers grabbed his arms, the complaint says.
“Listen to me, put your hands behind your back. If you resist you will get hurt,” an officer told Jackson, according to the body camera footage.
“If you hurt me I will sue you. I just had surgery,” Jackson said in reply, the footage shows.
A struggle ensued shortly afterward, according to the video.
Two officers pulled Jackson in opposite directions “like a rope in a tug-of-war” as he explained he was recovering from surgery, according to the complaint.
One of the officers tried taking Jackson down, then kneed him three times in the groin when he was unable to, according to the complaint.
This officer “knew (Jackson) had just had prostate surgery and would be extra sensitive to strikes to the groin area,” the complaint says.
A third officer twisted Jackson’s left arm while another “proceeded to bear-hug (him) and pull (him) in the opposite direction,” according to the complaint.
He was handcuffed and detained in the patrol car, the complaint says.
“What is your issue … Why did we have to get to this point?,” an officer asked Jackson as he put him in the car, according to the body camera footage.
“You saw us back there pulling you over and you kept driving into your driveway,” the officer said.
Jackson appeared to acknowledge this by saying “yes sir,” and told the officer he continued driving because he had expired tags, the video shows.
“Why are you forcing us to use force on you?,” the officer asked Jackson.
Jackson told him that the other officer, who was heard warning him he’d get hurt if he resisted arrest, threatened him as he tried explaining he had surgery, according to the video.
They cited Jackson for his expired registration and resisting arrest, the lawsuit says.
Police encounter results in injuries
Before and after prostate surgery, Jackson had clear urine — until the officers used force against him, according to the complaint.
Afterward, he urinated blood for two days and went to the emergency room because “the pain was so severe and had not subsided,” the complaint says.
His wrists were also left with bruises and abrasions from tight handcuffs, which the officers eventually loosened, according to the complaint.
Russell told McClatchy News that the settlement allowed both parties “to end the lawsuit without the time, expense, and risk associated with protracted litigation.”
Meanwhile, Pointer said “no one should have to endure what Mr. Jackson went through.”
“The officers should be ashamed of themselves,” he added.
Cops fired 55 shots at sleeping man in Taco Bell drive-thru, suit says. City owes $5M
Detainee ‘wasted away’ and lost 45 pounds before death, lawsuit says. County pays $7M
Deputy assaults 8-year-old at school, then deletes body camera footage, lawsuit says
