L.A. Taco journalist sues LAPD in latest allegation of police mistreatment of media

"Lexis-Olivier Ray said officers and city sanitation employees have wrongfully threatened him with arrest - and in one instance actually placed him in handcuffs - as he tried to report on encampment sweeps in Skid Row and West L.A. between August and November of last year, according to the complaint. "I tried to resolve the issue outside of a courtroom. But instead of trying to come to an understanding, LAPD officers responded by arresting me and holding me in the back of a patrol car in handcuffs for nearly an hour, before releasing me without any charges," Ray said in a statement."

""At a time when the First Amendment is being threatened by people in power, and journalists are under attack, it's more important than ever to reaffirm our rights to film police and government officials in public spaces without threats of arrest.""

"In some of the incidents, Ray had crossed yellow crime scene tape. But his attorney, Peter Bibring, argued the tape was put up by sanitation workers rather than police and none of the incidents were active crime scenes. City workers claimed Ray was interfering with their operations and in a "work zone," but the suit contends other members of the public were able to walk through the area and he created no disruption."

Lexis-Olivier Ray, a journalist for L.A. Taco, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging LAPD officers and city sanitation employees repeatedly interfered with his constitutionally protected ability to document homeless encampment sweeps. The complaint alleges wrongful threats of arrest and one instance in which officers handcuffed and detained Ray in a patrol car for nearly an hour before releasing him without charges. Some encounters involved yellow crime-scene tape that his attorney says was placed by sanitation workers, not police, and the suit contends no active crime scenes existed and no disruption occurred. The case centers on First Amendment protections for filming police and public officials.

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