Israeli family accuses LA police of wrongful death
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Two undercover police officers shot and killed an Israeli Jew in 2004 after they mistook him for a Middle Easterner or Muslim, then tried to cover up the wrongful death by raiding the man's apartment in hopes of finding evidence of contraband or illegal activities, the man's parents alleged in a lawsuit.
The complaint filed in federal court Wednesday named the Los Angeles and Burbank police departments and officers Scott Meadows and Jose Duran as defendants. An attorney for Assaf Deri's family said he did not know which departments the officers worked for, suggesting the suit may be amended as he learns more details of the June 25, 2004, shooting.
"The basic fact is, the police targeted this young man simply because he looked Middle Eastern," attorney Browne Greene said.
The suit alleged wrongful death, negligence, civil rights violations, assault and battery and false arrest. It seeks punitive damages. [Full story]