Judge dismisses suit by man wrongly held in Bryan Stow beating
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A federal judge has dismissed a civil rights and defamation lawsuit filed by a man arrested but later cleared in the beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow outside Dodger Stadium in 2011.
Giovanni Ramirez filed the suit last year in federal court against the city of Los Angeles and L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck. Ramirez alleged in court papers that his rights were violated and his reputation harmed by comments Beck made to reporters.
Stow was attacked in the stadium parking lot after the home opener in March 2011. He was beaten so badly that he suffered brain damage and was hospitalized for months.
After Ramirez had been arrested by LAPD detectives, Beck told The Times he was confident and ‘as sure as you need to be to make an arrest and pursue a prosecution.’ At the time of his arrest, Ramirez was on parole.
The case against Ramirez fell apart because of a lack of evidence. Two men were later arrested and charged in connection with the attack.
The city had filed a motion to dismiss Ramirez’s lawsuit, contending that he suffered no violation of due process because he was not formally charged with a crime, according to the city attorney’s office.
‘This ruling affirms our position that the police acted appropriately in the course of this investigation,’ City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said in a statement.
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— Robert J. Lopez
