Joseph Ward-Wallace’s federal lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department is set for trial in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in late June 2026, with no settlement reached. The South LA Cafe co-founder sued in April 2025, alleging LAPD officers used excessive force and wrongfully arrested him after he tried to file a complaint against another officer.1FOX 11 Los Angeles. South LA Business Owner Sues LAPD for Excessive Force, Says Officers Assaulted Him Over Complaint
What Ward-Wallace Alleges Happened
On April 11, 2024, Ward-Wallace approached LAPD officers in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven in South Los Angeles. He says he wanted to report a different officer for driving recklessly in the neighborhood and nearly causing an accident. According to the complaint, two officers assaulted him instead and arrested him on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.1FOX 11 Los Angeles. South LA Business Owner Sues LAPD for Excessive Force, Says Officers Assaulted Him Over Complaint
Ward-Wallace says he was held without bail for five days. His attorney, Christian Contreras, alleged that he was placed in solitary confinement and served food contaminated with cockroaches.2The Pride LA. Westside Restaurant Owner Alleges Excessive Force by LAPD in New Civil Rights Lawsuit The charges were later dropped.3Westside Today. Westside Restaurant Owner Alleges Excessive Force by LAPD in New Civil Rights Lawsuit According to his attorney and news coverage, Ward-Wallace had never been arrested or jailed before.
The Federal Complaint
Ward-Wallace announced the suit at an April 25, 2025 press conference with Contreras. The complaint, filed in the Central District of California as case number 2:25-cv-03662, names the LAPD as a defendant and alleges excessive force and wrongful arrest.1FOX 11 Los Angeles. South LA Business Owner Sues LAPD for Excessive Force, Says Officers Assaulted Him Over Complaint The LAPD has declined to comment on the pending litigation.2The Pride LA. Westside Restaurant Owner Alleges Excessive Force by LAPD in New Civil Rights Lawsuit
Where the Case Stands
The case is assigned to Judge Wesley L. Hsu. A Final Pretrial Conference was held on June 11, 2026. As of June 15, 2026, no settlement has been reached, and the court asked both sides whether they could start trial on June 24 or 25, 2026, ahead of the original date of June 29.4PACER Monitor. Joseph Ward-Wallace v. Los Angeles Police Department et al
Pretrial Rulings That Will Shape the Trial
The court granted all five of the LAPD’s motions in limine. The judge barred Ward-Wallace’s attorneys from referencing high-profile police killings such as those of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, excluded any evidence of LAPD Internal Affairs investigations, and prohibited appeals to jurors’ “conscience of the community.” The court also agreed to bifurcate the trial, so any punitive damages would be decided separately from liability and compensatory damages.4PACER Monitor. Joseph Ward-Wallace v. Los Angeles Police Department et al
Ward-Wallace’s side had sought to exclude testimony from defense expert Edward Flosi. The court denied that request as to most of Flosi’s opinions but did exclude one of them.4PACER Monitor. Joseph Ward-Wallace v. Los Angeles Police Department et al
The Broader LAPD Payout Picture
The case comes as Los Angeles faces heavy financial exposure over police conduct. Since September 2019, the city has spent $384 million on claims related to police conduct, according to LA Public Press. Of the $345 million paid across the top three claim categories, roughly half went to civil rights violations, police shootings, excessive force, and illegal searches.5LA Public Press. LAPD Settlements
In the first two and a half months of the 2026 fiscal year, the city paid $48 million in settlements, using a quarter of its $187 million annual budget for resolving claims.5LA Public Press. LAPD Settlements
Who Joseph Ward-Wallace Is
Ward-Wallace is a retired firefighter turned entrepreneur and community organizer. He and his wife, Celia Ward-Wallace, co-founded South LA Cafe in 2019 as an anti-gentrification effort combining a coffee shop, market, and cultural center in a neighborhood long considered a food desert.6UCLA Alumni. Celia Ward-Wallace – Bruin Story Since 98 He also serves as co-CEO and president of the South LA Community Foundation.7Mother’s Quest. We Bought the Block: Building Legacy, Love, and Community in South LA with Joe Ward-Wallace