The Los Angeles Police Department has been ordered to dispose of photographs of documents taken during an unannounced raid on the home of an attorney representing a prominent Black Lives Matter activist.
According to The Associated Press, Dermot Givens, a Los Angeles attorney, said a dozen police officers showed up at his home to execute a search warrant last Tuesday and ordered him to stay outside while they searched his home.
Givens says that when he returned inside, he saw an officer photographing documents left on his kitchen table related to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Melina Abdullah, co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter.
According to Abdullah, officers violated her civil rights by forcing her out of her home at gunpoint after receiving a hoax call about a hostage situation.
The papers that were reportedly photographed contained “portions of Mr. Given’s case file, as well as possibly attorney work product,” The Associated Press reports according to an application filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court requesting that police destroy or return the materials and provide a copy of the warrant used to justify the search.
On Friday, Judge Rupert Byrdsong granted the request, ordering the LAPD to dispose of the photographs. However, according to Givens, as of Saturday, he had yet to receive confirmation or any information about the warrant from the LAPD.
The LAPD spokesperson, Capt. Kelly Muniz stated that the department was conducting an internal and criminal investigation into the matter but did not provide further details about the search.
Givens claimed that the police alleged they were responding to a GPS tracker near his home in connection to their search for a person named Tyler. The raid reportedly involved officers surrounding the townhouse with guns drawn and “ransacked” his house.
Givens believes the incident is part of ongoing harassment by the LAPD due to his work representing clients who are suing the department. He asserted that the police are well aware of his identity and residence.
The attorney is currently representing Abdullah in a lawsuit against the LAPD concerning a “swatting incident” at her home in 2020. Abdullah alleges that the LAPD used the prank call as a pretext to harass her for her involvement in organizing protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
The LAPD has not commented on the actions of its officers at Abdullah’s home, citing pending litigation.