Posted by
Playful Walrus on Monday, July 27, 2009 9:00:00 PM
You mean gangsta chic might no go over well in court? Click on over to this Hector Bacerra article in the Los Angeles Times to see what Richard Rodriguez's attorney is trying to do to his appearance. Gang membership tattoos may be covered up.
I wrote about Rodriguez earlier - he (allegedly) led cops on a dangerous high speed chase, and at the end of it, got what some cops are calling a "distraction kick" to his head while he was apparently prone - and it was caught on video.
The attorney for a gang member kicked in the head by an El Monte police officer at the end of a televised car chase thinks his client has a great case. On Thursday, Nick Pacheco filed a $5-million legal claim against the city on behalf of the 23-year-old.
Even if the El Monte officer's actions had been completely unwarranted, along the lines of stranger coming up and assaulting Rodriguez, it's not worth $5 million. A wrongful death case for Rodriguez wouldn't be worth $1 million.
In the booking photo, Rodriguez's head is shaved, and the name of his gang hangs over his lip. Tattoos climb his neck. In the "after" rendition, he's wearing a black suit with a metallic gray tie, neatly combed hair and a lush mustache.
Too bad for him he can’t cover up the video of him driving like he did.
Pacheco, a former L.A. councilman, said his client suffers from headaches and blurred vision, among other symptoms.
Conveniently, they all seem to be entirely impossible to objectively document. The City of El Monte already has high sales tax rates. It would be a shame if they had to go higher to pay a gangster who ran from the cops and endangered others.