warning Hi, we've moved to USCANNENBERGMEDIA.COM. Visit us there!

Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

City Attorney Drops Charges Against USC 6

Colin Hale |
June 27, 2013 | 10:09 a.m. PDT

Executive Producer

Police response on May 4/via YouTube
Police response on May 4/via YouTube
The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday that it would not file charges against six USC students arrested after an off-campus house party in early May. 

The massive LAPD response to the May 4th house party, viewed by many as racially motivated and "heavy-handed," has been heavily criticized by USC students and community members. 

Nearly 80 officers were called to a noise complaint at the off-campus party, attended almost entirely by African American and Latino students. A party across the street, attended mostly by white students, received a markedly calmer response by authorities.  

ALSO SEE: Meet The USC Students Arrested At Friday's Party

The incident was caught on video and posted by several sources on social media and YouTube.

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said in a statement on Wednesday that his office declined to file charges against the six students, all African American, due to "lack of sufficient evidence and no reasonable likelihood of conviction."  

Fred Dorton, the attorney representing the six USC students, said that he's still working to clear his client's names and wants their arrest records expunged. Dorton had stated nearly a month ago that the City Attorney would not be filing charges, but Trutanich's office rejected that statement and said they were still reviewing evidence.

Students during sit-in/via Flickr
Students during sit-in/via Flickr
On Tuesday, City Councilwoman Jan Perry filed a motion asking the LAPD and City Attorney's Office to provide a report on "how it responded to the off-campus USC party," according to SCPR.

ALSO SEE: LAPD To USC Students: No Racial Profiling Found

Perry also asked the LAPD for a "strategic plan for dealing with special events within a mile radius of the USC campus and alert the community of special plans" and to report "on the possibility of issuing officers lapel cameras." City Councilmembers Bernard Parks and Paul Krekorian also signed on to the motion.

ALSO SEE: Why We Published The Names Of The USC 6

A large sit-in and town hall event with the LAPD and school officials on the USC campus drew nearly 1,000 people, including students and community members.

During the town hall event, held three days after the incident, the LAPD said that in their assessment, "there was no indication that it was race-based." At the time, the LAPD had insisted that that there was resistance from party goers and that a bottle or can was thrown. 

The LAPD launched investigations into claims of excessive force and racial profiling after the May 4th incident.

Reach Executive Producer Colin Hale here. Follow him on Twitter.



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.

 
ntrandomness