Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Page 3
Cunningham Files $10 Million Claim Against UCLA Police
From Staff and Wire Service Reports
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cunningham III has filed a $10 million claim against UCLA police for assault and racial profiling.
The jurist contends he was seriously injured in the 10-minute confrontation last November 23. He alleges that the injuries occurred when he was stopped in his Mercedes while he was in the process of buckling his seat belt at 1050 Gayley Avenue at about 10 a.m.
His claim is the precursor to a lawsuit, and it alleges that Kevin Dodd and James Kim used unreasonable force after stopping the judge’s car after he departed from an LA Fitness in Westwood.
UCLA police say he refused to heed instructions to stay in his car while they returned to their patrol car to run a license and registration check. They explained that Cunningham then left his vehicle and stood in the roadway, and as a result was handcuffed.
Cunningham was cited for failing to wear a seatbelt and released from the scene.
UCLA says it fully investigated Cunningham’s allegations but didn’t find sufficient evidence to sustain them. The university said it’s distressed when anyone feels disrespected by its police.
Cunningham was appointed to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners in 2001 by then-Mayor James Hahn. He went on to become president of the board in 2003, where he led the five-member civilian panel setting policies for the department and overseeing its operations.
The commissioner’s board issues a year-end report addressing the use of force of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Cunningham was appointed a judge in 2009 by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to succeed Xenophon F. Lang. He is the son of a former Los Angeles City Council member.
Copyright 2014, Metropolitan News Company