Actor Claims Racial Profiling In Gunpoint Arrest
GLENDALE (CBSLA) – A black actor who claims he was racially profiled and mistakenly arrested at gunpoint at the Glendale Galleria last week while officers were searching for suspects in a Tarzana home burglary is filing a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Darris Love, 38, alleges that he was arrested on the afternoon of June 6 by Glendale and Los Angeles police while with his girlfriend, 39-year-old Ayesha Dumas, in the parking garage of the Galleria while he was getting his parking validated.
"Police threw him to the ground with guns drawn and accused him of being one of the burglary suspects," according to a news release from his attorneys.
Love alleges he was taken to a local police station to be booked by the sheriff's department. He says he was held for five hours before eventually being released when investigators determined he was not a suspect. He is suing the sheriff's department, but not LAPD, stating that LAPD realized it had arrested the wrong man, but that sheriff's deputies did not.
"Love asked the officers to review the mall security camera footage to prove that he had been at the mall at the time of the burglary and chase, but says officers refused and took him to the LAPD's West Valley station for booking," the news release from the Cochrane Firm reads.
He also claims that Dumas' car was damaged during a police search and that she was accused of being an accessory to the burglary.
"Love believes he was targeted because he is African American. As a working actor, he is concerned that his experience was the result of racial profiling", the release stated.
Love held a news conference Tuesday morning at the Cochrane Firm on Wilshire Boulevard.
On the morning of June 6, knock-knock burglary suspects who police say were under surveillance broke into a home in the 19000 block of Lemmer Drive in Tarzana.
According to police, a vehicle pursuit ensued with the suspects, which ended when their BMW entered the Galleria's parking garage at around 12:20 p.m.
At about 12:50 p.m., one suspect was apprehended, but two others escaped, police said last week. The identity of the arrested suspect was not released, and no further details were confirmed by LAPD.
However, Love claims that he in fact was the man who was taken into custody, an arrest which was captured on video by media outlets.
It's unclear if Love will be immediately filing a civil rights complaint against the LAPD.
Love's acting credits include "The Secret World of Alex Mack," "The Shield," "ER," "Shameless," "Waist Deep" and "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia."
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