LA Jury Awards $3.8M to Protester Injured by Rubber Bullet

A Los Angeles jury awarded a total of $3.8 million to filmmaker Cellin Gluck and his daughter Caroline after Gluck was shot in the face with a rubber bullet fired by an LA County Sheriff’s deputy during a George Floyd protest in 2020. Gluck was struck while trying to assist another protester and suffered a fractured face requiring multiple surgeries, as well as ongoing headaches, memory and vision loss, depression, and anxiety. His daughter witnessed the injury, leading to her receiving $300,000 for emotional distress. The jury found the County of Los Angeles negligent in its deputies' use of "less-than-lethal" rounds on peaceful protesters, though some blame was also placed on the crowd. County attorneys had denied the allegations, claiming the injuries were caused by the plaintiffs' own wrongful acts and resistance. The case was seen by Gluck's legal team as an important matter of accountability and a call to continue fighting injustice.