Isaac Castellanos was walking home from a Dodgers World Series celebration when a police projectile struck him in the face, permanently blinding his right eye.
The federal jury’s $11.8 million verdict on Thursday ended a nearly six-year legal fight that began when Castellanos, then a 22-year-old Cal State Long Beach student, joined friends in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the team’s first championship in 32 years. He said he was peacefully standing near Crypto.com Arena around 1 a.m. On Oct. 28, 2020, when LAPD officers moved into the crowd, firing less-lethal weapons despite his claims of hearing no dispersal order. Attorneys for Castellanos presented evidence that the 37-mm “skip trace” launcher that hit him was fired from about 145 feet away — far beyond the department’s close-range policy — allowing the hard-foam projectile to ricochet upward and strike his eye.
The jury unanimously found Officers Cody MacArthur and Jesse Pineda negligent, concluding they used excessive force and violated Castellanos’ constitutional rights. His lawyers argued the injury destroyed his prospects in esports, where he had won $20,000 in a tournament just months before the shooting. Castellanos said he and his friends committed no violence that night, a claim supported by video evidence showing others in the crowd throwing objects but not him.
LAPD’s use of crowd control weapons has faced legal limits since 2020
Following the incident, a federal judge issued an injunction in January 2021 banning the LAPD’s use of 40-mm launchers, though the department has continued deploying other types of projectile weapons in protests. Castellanos’ case is part of a broader pattern: Los Angeles has paid over $19 million in liabilities from LAPD crowd control actions since early 2020, according to city data analyzed by LAist, with his verdict representing the largest single sum to date.
His attorney, Pedram Esfandiary, said the award should serve as a wake-up call, adding that “this was just another nail in that coffin that this has to stop.” The LAPD has not commented on the case, and the city must still approve any final payout, with an appeal likely given the size of the award.
Under state law, Castellanos’ lawyers seek to triple the damages
Under California’s legal framework for excessive force claims, Castellanos’ attorneys are pursuing to increase the jury’s award threefold, a move that could raise the total beyond $35 million if successful and upheld on appeal. They argue the permanent loss of vision in one eye constitutes a severe, life-altering injury that warrants enhanced penalties under statutes designed to deter police misconduct.
The trial lasted six days, with deliberations lasting under two hours. Expert testimony from Dr. Jerry Sebag confirmed the permanence of Castellanos’ vision loss, while Castellanos himself described seeing a muzzle flash, hearing a pop, and feeling warm blood stream from his face before realizing he could no longer see out of his right eye.
Will the city of Los Angeles have to pay the full $11.8 million?
The amount requires approval from city leaders and is likely to be appealed, so the final payout could change or be reduced during litigation.
What specific weapon caused Isaac Castellanos’ injury?
He was struck by a 37-mm “skip trace” launcher firing hard-foam projectiles designed to ricochet off the ground, which his lawyers proved were fired from 145 feet away — violating LAPD’s close-range use policy.
How does this case compare to prior LAPD crowd control lawsuits?
Los Angeles has paid over $19 million in liabilities from such actions since 2020, but Castellanos’ verdict is the largest single award to date, surpassing prior settlements by a significant margin.
