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A family in Pasadena, California is seeking a wrongful death claim against the city of Pasadena. The lawsuit claims that in February a Pasadena police officer wrongfully shot their loved one, Leroy Barnes, during a routine traffic stop. The details of the shooting and the autopsy have been withheld from public access for investigation and court purposes.

The general overview of the shooting is that Barnes, a previous offender, was a passenger in a car with a negligent driver who was being reckless and driving on the wrong side of the street.  Reports say that Pasadena Police officers pulled the vehicle over, probably with intentions of preventing a potential car accident. The reports are not clear, but maybe in an attempt to arrest Barnes, somehow he and the arresting officer got into an argument that turned physical. Somewhere in the struggle Barnes was shot several times, and killed by the police officers.

The primary issues in this wrongful death claim focus the inconsistencies in the statements made by the Pasadena Police Department (PPD). The family claims that these inconsistencies prove negligence on the part of the officers to exercise caution in using their weapons. In addition to a lack of caution, a deliberate intention on the police officer's part to shoot and kill Barnes is implied by all of the inconsistent testimonies by the Police Officers involved in the fatal shooting. One article reports that the family claims that Barnes was "executed" by the police and witnesses testify to seeing the police officers shoot Barnes while he was face down and clearly not a threat to them.

This is not a case of a criminal resisting arrest, and even opening fire on police. This is not even a case of self-defense for the Pasadena Police Department (PPD). This is a case of police brutality, and as the result of the PPD, Leroy Barnes has suffered a wrongful death, and his family is now mourning the death of a child and loved one. Barnes may have been a convicted criminal in the past, but that is no justification for any police officer to take the law into their own hands.

Have you, or someone that you know been involved in a situation that involved negligence on the part of the Pasadena, Burbank, or Glendale police department? Maybe you have been the victim of police brutality and critically injured as the result. You may have reason to bring a lawsuit against the city of Pasadena or The PPD for police brutality, negligence, or even a wrongful death claim for your loved one who has died. Contact one of our Pasadena Personal Injury Attorney's today. We offer free, confidential consultation for your convenience.

The state of California, specifically the city of Burbank, and even Glendale, Pasadena and the surrounding cities, were founded on the same principles that our country was founded. Those principles include ensuring the protection of the Constitutional Rights of Burbank citizens. The Bill of Rights is made up of amendments outlined to protect against unlawful actions against United States Citizens. The 4th Amendment specifically protects against unreasonable searches and seizures of a person's body, documents, property, house, car and more.

Within the last year, there have been several public U.S. Supreme Court cases concerning the potential violation of a person's rights under the Fourth Amendment. One particular case, from October of 2008, Herring vs. the United States, deals with the violation of a man's rights after he was searched and arrested as the result of faulty information on file at the police department. The police data base claimed that there was a warrant out for his arrest. The arresting officers followed the information found in the inaccurate computer system, and not only arrested the man, but searched him and the premises where he was arrested. Upon the search there was evidence found that could be incriminating to the man who was arrested.

The issue in the case is whether or not the evidence found in the search should be admissible to court in a case by the state against the man. His defending attorney is arguing that the evidence was acquired under an illegal search and seizure based upon the negligence of the police department who supposedly had a warrant on file for the accused.

This attorney is arguing that excuses made for police departments and their lack of working, up to date technology should not be made or ruled on in a court setting.  The issue is not whether or not this man is guilty for the charges that could be brought on the evidence found in the search and seizure, but that the search and seizure was unconstitutional and in violation of the man's 4th Amendment Rights.

In Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena, California Fourth Amendment rights violations happen all of the time. Violations like this cause personal injury to a person's reptutation. The problem is that they are not brought to the public's eye, or even offered an opportunity to be brought to legal battle. There are local Burbank Personal Injury Lawyers willing to stand up for the citizens of Burbank, California whose 4th amendment rights have been violated.

Contact one of our attorney's today for a confidential, free consultation at (800) 704-8237.