Man sues after allegedly being beaten by 7 LA County sheriff's deputies in Inglewood

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Seven deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are being accused of beating a man who was left with serious injuries and is still suffering more than a year later.

Attorneys for Christopher Bailey on Monday announced a civil rights lawsuit against the department and the seven deputies involved in the alleged May 2020 beating.

Recently-surfaced cellphone video of the aftermath of the incident shows Bailey being lifted into an ambulance, with someone heard saying "He doesn't even look human."

"He sustained 64 to 86 total body and face hits. He was pummeled in the face approximately 35 to 44 times," civil rights attorney Toni Jaramilla said during a news conference.

Attorneys representing Bailey say he was on his way home from work, a private company that sorts mail for the U.S. Postal Service, when he was pulled over for allegedly straddling the lane in Inglewood around 2 a.m.

They say Bailey did everything he was asked to do, but the police report says he resisted arrest.

Bailey's attorneys say he was initially charged with three felony counts of resisting arrest, but that those charges were later dropped.

"I was screaming out (that) I wanted to live. I really feared for my life, I thought I was going to die," Bailey said.

Jaramilla says Bailey is now unable to see out of his left eye, adding that doctors said "the punches to his eye were so severe that it dislodged the eyeball slightly."

Bailey's teeth were also knocked out and bones in his face were shattered.

"Mr. Bailey recalls that he heard deputies say 'Pull his pants down' and he could feel tugging in his pants, and he was Tasered in the lower abdomen near his groin area," Jaramilla said.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department released the following statement: "All use of force incidents which result in injury are unfortunate. Due to this pending litigation and under advice of counsel, we are unable to offer further details at this time."

Bailey's attorney say they want the seven deputies involved in the alleged beating fired and charged with crimes.

"This was just a beatdown. This was a gang-like beatdown of a Black citizen," Jaramilla said.