Two brothers, Stephen and Richard Paper, filed a negligence lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and the LAPD after their car was struck by a patrol car driven by Officer Jason C. Stevenson. The collision occurred in June when the LAPD cruiser was traveling at 80 mph on Balboa Boulevard in Encino while the Paper brothers were making a left turn. The LAPD investigation report attributed the crash to Officer Stevenson’s unsafe speed.
The attorney representing the Paper brothers, Robert S. Glassman, highlighted the irony of the situation as Officer Stevenson was part of a street racing task force assigned to patrol the area for street racing. Data from the police car’s event recorder showed that the patrol car was traveling at 80 mph just before the crash.
Glassman emphasized that had Officer Stevenson been driving at the posted speed limit of 45 mph, the crash would not have occurred. The LAPD, in a statement, mentioned that Officer Stevenson was attempting to catch a speeding car at the time of the crash.
The lawsuit alleges that the brothers, who are 74 and 76 years old, suffered catastrophic physical injuries in the wreck and are still undergoing in-patient care. Glassman expressed concern about the danger posed by police officers exceeding the speed limit, particularly in scenarios where lights and sirens are not activated. The LAPD declined to comment on the specific allegations in the lawsuit.
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