Three activists and lawyers have taken the LAPD to court, filing a lawsuit Monday that accuses an officer of blasting them with foam rounds at close range, including one shot they say nailed a protester in the groin from point-blank distance outside police headquarters on June 9, 2025. The complaint says parts of the confrontation were captured on live streams and claims the officer opened fire without provocation while the men were simply recording. The plaintiffs call it excessive force and say they want the department held to account.
The suit, filed April 6, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, names Officer Rick Linton and alleges the encounter unfolded outside LAPD headquarters at 100 W. 1st St. on June 9, 2025. According to the Los Angeles Times, the complaint says Linton used a 40mm less-lethal launcher on the three men as they recorded him from the street. The plaintiffs are activist Jason Reedy and attorneys Ricci Sergienko and Shakeer Rahman, who say they were struck or nearly struck during the run-in.
Video from the scene, cited in the lawsuit, "shows the officer firing a foam round at Reedy as he held his hands in the air," according to the complaint, and it captures another round hitting Sergienko in the stomach. Reedy, a vocal LAPD critic, told the Los Angeles Times, "We're hoping that he gets fired." Rahman said the officer warned him he was "gonna pop you right now" before allegedly firing two rounds that nearly struck him in the groin, the complaint asserts.
LAPD Report: Nearly 1,400 Less-Lethal Rounds Fired
In an after-action report posted on its website, the LAPD says officers fired nearly 1,400 less-lethal rounds over a six-day stretch that began June 9, 2025, and also deployed tear gas and made dozens of arrests. The department has publicly defended that response as necessary, saying officers were facing thrown objects and burning vehicles, while critics have highlighted videos they say show close-range shots. Those detailed figures appear in the department’s own LAPD report.
Federal Judge Had Already Tightened Rules on 40mm Launchers
A federal judge in January issued an order that curtailed the use of some 40mm munitions for crowd control and tightened rules on where officers can aim those projectiles. The injunction barred firing at the head, neck, face, eyes, kidneys, chest, groin, or spine, and required warnings and specialized training, according to NBC Los Angeles. That ruling now hangs over the new lawsuit as a key piece of legal context.
Human Rights Groups And Journalists Add To The Pressure
Human Rights Watch and civil liberties organizations have already documented multiple injuries during the June demonstrations and urged formal investigations into how less-lethal munitions were used. Human Rights Watch reported that several people, including advocates and journalists, were struck near the LAPD headquarters. Court filings collected by the First Amendment Coalition show that journalists and media outlets have also filed claims saying they were hit while covering the protests.
The new complaint adds yet another case to the growing stack of litigation facing the department and amplifies calls from activists and elected officials for clearer limits and real accountability around crowd-control tactics. The plaintiffs say they are seeking both damages and disciplinary action against the officer. The case will now move through the Los Angeles County Superior Court process in the weeks ahead, with city leaders and police officials staring down hearings and discovery that could influence whether LAPD policy or personnel changes follow.
