BRENTWOOD—Father Armen Bagramyan, a retired priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, August 12 about an injury allegedly caused by the Los Angeles Police Department during a protest outside the Azerbaijani Consulate claiming it was caused by excessive force.
A 55-year-old Armenian priest Armen Bagramyan alleges that he was hit in the stomach with the end of a gun and kicked in the chest by a Los Angeles Police Officer Ruiz, though he was assisting the police to keep the protest organized by the Armenian Youth Federation according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on August 12.
The lawsuit says “At no point before this attack had Officer Ruiz or any LAPD Officer commanded Father Bagramyan to correct any actions or warned him that he was not in compliance with any orders,” according to Asbarez. He was sent to UCLA Medical Center in an ambulance by paramedics, in order to get treatment.
Greg Kirakosian, Bagramyan’s attorney, explained in the interview that the priest had been blindsided by the officer when he was hit in the stomach with the end of a gun and grabbed it by himself, said the Los Angeles Times. “Then, the officer gives this nice, like, ‘This Is Sparta’-type kick”. He also commented “There has been a clear pattern of police violence during peaceful protests that has gone unchecked for far too long,” according to Asbarez.
Hundreds of Armenian-Americans protested outside of the Azerbaijani Consulate on July 21, in reaction to military attacks by Azerbaijan in Armenia’s Tavush Province which began on July 12. The Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles tweeted and reported that the demonstration included violence. “#Armenian #Dashnaks attacked the peaceful #Azerbaijani community members injuring 7 of them including a young woman.”
