The LA youth leader marched out of his house at 4 a.m. on suspicion of involvement in a burglary
The founder of a Los Angeles youth group is suing sheriffs after they dragged him half-naked out of bed at 4 a.m. and arrested him on suspicion of burglary — only to realize they had the wrong address.
Derrick Cooper, 54, was detained at his home in the Compton precinct on April 18 after deputies were sent to investigate an attempted burglary.
Cooper, who started the LA Wildcats group 27 years ago, said he was asleep when the sheriff’s squad opened his front door and was awakened by officers in his bedroom with guns drawn.
They refused to let him put on underwear, pants, socks or shoes, so he was led out of his house half-naked into the street.
Cooper told a news conference Tuesday that he felt “less than human” and “humiliated.”
Derrick Cooper, 54, was arrested in the early hours of April 18, with sheriffs reaching through a mailbox to open his door and then waking him up at 4 a.m. with guns drawn
The officers entered the building, which also serves as the home of the LA Wildcats youth organization that Cooper founded 27 years ago, and went to his apartment behind
They restrained Cooper, who was in his bed at the time, and did not allow him to put on any underwear or pants before handcuffing him and taking him outside.
“I was not valued as a human being,” he said.
“To just come in and shamelessly take me out of my safe place and put me in a place where I’m helpless and scared for my life — it’s one of the worst things you can imagine.”
He said he was deeply traumatized by the event and cannot sleep at night.
Cooper, who is well known in the district, said when he woke up to find the sheriffs in his bedroom, “I just went into survival mode.”
Surveillance camera images, obtained by NBCshows the sheriffs entering his building.
He added, “I’m like, they’re here to kill me or I’ve done something I don’t know about.
“I said, ‘I’m unarmed, I live alone, please don’t shoot me.'”
He said the officers told him to get out of bed and walk over to them, and he told them he would obey, but he was naked below the waist and wanted permission to put on clothes. They refused.
As much as I wanted to reach for something to cover up, I just knew if I did it wouldn’t be good for me. So as ashamed as I was, I chose to be ashamed to live another day,” he said.
He was handcuffed and marched out of the building where he lives, which doubles as the Wildcats’ headquarters – with the officers refusing to tell Cooper why he was arrested.
‘I thought [a deputy] would say, ‘Sit down, cover up, let me tell you why we’re here.’ That didn’t happen,” Cooper said.
‘This is not right. He walked me out of my building and onto Compton Boulevard with no shoes, no socks on.”
Cooper founded the youth group in Compton to keep kids off the streets. He coaches basketball, football, cheer, dance and drumline
He was put in a patrol car for about 20 minutes and said he heard the emergency room say, “You’re at the wrong building. Let him go.’
Cooper said they apologized and let him go back to his building.
Sheriffs have not confirmed they were given the wrong address, but said “Compton Station is thoroughly investigating the incident.”
Cooper and his lawyer, Jaaye Person-Lynn, viewed security camera footage but saw no one outside, which they say made the reason for the arrest all the more bizarre.
Person-Lynn, who filed the wrongful detention lawsuit on Monday, said: “We have not received any information, such as 911 calls or any other information related to that call.
“So as of now, we’re still pretty unsure what actually led to the officers showing up.”
The Person-Lynn case alleges Cooper’s civil rights violations and charges the sheriff’s office with negligent training, negligent supervision, battery, false imprisonment and false arrest.
A visibly distressed Cooper says he is traumatized by the arrest and demands damages from the sheriffs
Jaaye Person-Lynn, Cooper’s attorney (pictured), filed a lawsuit Monday against the sheriff’s office
Cooper said he was traumatized by the arrest.
“It’s just hard to sleep at night. I take it day by day. Some days are good. Some days not,” he said.
He said his work with young people has also been affected.
Cooper’s organization sees him coaching basketball, football, cheer, dance and drumline.
“The biggest disappointment I face right now is not being able to engage with the children in the community I serve,” he said.
“Mentally, I can’t give them that service right now. This is so unfair to me.
‘Cause all I ever wanted to do in life was do what someone did for me, give me the chance to be a kid, give me the chance to make memories, and give me the chance to be a to be a productive citizen.’
He said he was disappointed that no one from the sheriff’s office had reached out to explain what went wrong.
“It’s been a week since this happened to me, and no one has reached out or even shown any kind of empathy or sympathy for what happened to me from their department. That is just unacceptable,” he said.
He is now asking the local community to march with him to the Compton sheriff’s office on May 7 to be held accountable.
Cooper’s Facebook page reads, “Please MARCH with me, my family, my friends, the LA City Wildcats Youth Academy Kids, my community and our village as we demand LA County Sheriff and all law enforcement officers in this country to STOP!” violating our constitutional rights, our civil rights and most importantly, OUR HUMAN RIGHTS! ‘
He said on Tuesday: “I will not rest until justice is served with this. It’s so much bigger than me.
“I want to speak for those who were actually killed in their homes by law enforcement and were unable to speak.
“If God is going to use me in that capacity, then so be it. I accept it.’