Overview
- The jury, which returned its verdict Thursday, awarded about $11.8 million after less than two hours of deliberation.
- Jurors found Officers Cody MacArthur and Jesse Pineda negligent and said they used excessive force that violated Isaac Castellanos' constitutional rights.
- Trial evidence showed a 37-mm “skip” round fired from about 145 feet struck his face, a distance that can lift the ricochet to eye level and leave lasting eye damage.
- The award still needs approval from city leaders and could change on appeal as the plaintiff seeks to triple the damages under California law.
- The case lands as a federal injunction blocks LAPD from using 40‑mm launchers and as city payouts tied to crowd control top $19 million since 2020, with more lawsuits alleging permanent eye injuries.