Ronald Weekley Jr., a 20-year-old Venice, Calif., skateboarder whose weekend arrest sparked protests in the city, has hired the attorney representing slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin after, he says, he was pinned to the ground by at least four Los Angeles police officers, according to NBC4 Los Angeles.
On medication for a broken nose and cheekbone, an emotional Ronald Weekley Jr. says he was punched four times during the incident, which occurred on Saturday near Sunset Boulevard and Sixth Street in Venice. Cellphone video of the incident shows one of the officers landing a single punch on Weekley's face.
"The next thing I remember is being in the back of the car asking why me, why did I get stopped?" [Weekley] said during a news conference Tuesday. "The officer said because I was a 'dumb-a' and that I didn't stop at the stop sign."
Weekley's lawyer, Benjamin Crump, referenced the proliferation of cameras among the public as key in reporting these kinds of incidents.
"How many times did this happen when there are no cellphone recordings of it?" said Crump, who also represents the family of Travyon Martin, the 17-year-old killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer. The volunteer, George Zimmerman, has pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge, claiming self defense. The case sparked nationwide outrage over alleged racial profiling and Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground Law."
Read more at NBC4 Los Angeles.