Relatives of a mentally ill man fatally shot by Long Beach police inside an arcade in December sued the department Thursday in federal court, demanding new training for the city’s officers.
Mharloun Saycon was shot inside Looff’s Lite-A-Line on Dec. 14, according to the suit, which alleges excessive force.
Long Beach police said previously that Saycon, 39, of Carson, failed to comply with orders to drop a knife he was carrying and that less-lethal methods to subdue him failed.
However, the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, contends Saycon did not threaten anyone.
A representative of the City Attorney’s office declined comment on the legal action, saying officials there had not yet seen the suit.
“This was a police-created killing,” said plaintiffs’ lawyer Dan Stormer. “Mharloun was seated peacefully watching television when the police entered Looff’s and started beating him. They never gave him the opportunity to comprehend what was happening.”
“These officers need to be held accountable for this unprovoked and despicable attack on an innocent man,” he said.
The lawsuit seeks punitive damages, as well as changes in police training and policy to de-escalate conflicts, especially with the mentally disabled.
–City News Service