County of Los Angeles v. Van Davis Briefs Amicus Curiae

Public Court Documents
October 3, 1977

County of Los Angeles v. Van Davis Briefs Amicus Curiae preview

Collection of amicus briefs related to the case. Date is approximate. NAACP Legal Defense Fund Amicus Brief begins on page 35 of the document.

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  • Press Releases, Volume 4. LDF Seeks 3 Million Dollars for Widow and Children of Nego Slain by Los Angeles Policeman, 1966. 6af20833-b792-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/a7e181e1-6874-42ec-969e-aaba6bcd7235/ldf-seeks-3-million-dollars-for-widow-and-children-of-nego-slain-by-los-angeles-policeman. Accessed August 19, 2025.

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    10 Columbus Circle 
New York, N.Y. 10019 
JUdson 6-8397 

Legal Defense and Educational F und 
PRESS RELEASE 

S Hod wranca ka Hives 
Director-Counsel 

Jack Greenberg FOR RELEASE 

SATURDAY 

September 24, 1966 

LDF SEEKS 3 MILLION DOLLARS 
FOR WIDCW & CHILDREN OF NEGRO 
SLAIN BY LOS ANGELES POLICEMAN 

LOS ANGELES---The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) 

filed a $3,000,000.00 damage suit this week against the City of Los 
Angeles in behalf of Barbara Jean Deadwyler. 

Mrs. Deadwyler's husband, Leonard, was shot and killed by police 
office J. M, Bova on Way 7, 1966 as he drove his pregnant wife to the 

hospital under the expectation that a child was about to be born. 

The suit asks damages for the wrongful death of Leonard Deadwyler 
and for emotional distress suffered by s. Deadwyler. 

Los Angeles police pursued the speeding car, which flew a white 
cloth from its radio aerial, for blocks before overtaking it. 

The suit, filed in Superior Court for the county of Los Angeles 
by Johnnie L, Cochran, Jr. of the Los Angeles bar, asserted that 
Officer Bova "negligently, recklessly, carelessly, wantonly and 
imprudently caused his service revolver to discharge in close proximit 
to plaintiff's body, thereby mortally wounding plaintiff's husband. 

Officer Bova approached the Deadwyler vehicle on the front 
passenger side. 

The LDF suit asks $1,250, 
children, $1,250,000,00 for Mrs, 
to the widow for “emotional an 

for the four Deadwyler minor 

Nv another $500,000.90 
vjuries." 

Attorney Cochran was joined by attorneys Nelson Atkins of Los 
Angeles; Jack Greenberg, LDF Director-Counsel, and Leroy D. Clark of 
New York City. 

-30< 

Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 

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