Lawsuit Accuses Beverly Hills Police of Racial Profiling Black Motorists

A lawsuit filed on Monday alleges that the Beverly Hills police racially profiled nearly 1,100 Black individuals during traffic stops. The suit represents most of the Black drivers who were pulled over in the affluent city between August 2019 and August 2021.

Out of the 1,088 Black motorists stopped, only two were convicted of crimes, according to attorney Benjamin Crump, who disclosed this during a news conference.

Approximately one-third of all arrests made during this period involved Black individuals, despite them constituting only 1.5% of the city’s population, Crump stated. He went on to assert, “It wasn’t to deter crime. It was to send a message to Black people that we don’t want your kind around here. That is racial profiling 101!”

The city, however, refutes these allegations, emphasizing that the statistics cited are a misrepresentation of the case evidence. They clarified that the figure of 1,088 arrests includes individuals who were cited and released, not solely those taken into custody.

In a statement, the city said, “The City of Beverly Hills is an international destination that always welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world. The role of the Beverly Hills Police Department is to enforce the law, regardless of race.”

The lawsuit is seeking $500 million in damages.

One of those who experienced being pulled over was law clerk Shepherd York, who was stopped due to expired license plates while on his way to work, according to attorneys.

York, speaking at the news conference, recounted, “I spent three days in jail—humiliated, scared, sad.” Although his car was searched and impounded, he was never convicted of a crime, attorneys confirmed.