Arrest Occurred After Business Owner Attempted to Make a Misconduct Complaint
The co-owner of a well-known café in South Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department, alleging that two officers used excessive force and unlawfully arrested him after he attempted to file a complaint against another officer.
Joe Ward-Wallace, who co-founded South LA Café, announced the legal action during a press conference on Friday alongside his attorney, Christian Contreras. The incident at the center of the lawsuit occurred over a year ago, on April 11, 2024.
According to Ward-Wallace, the confrontation began when he approached LAPD officers in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven near his business. He said he intended to raise concerns about an officer he had seen driving recklessly through the neighborhood, behavior he claimed nearly caused an accident.
Instead of receiving his complaint, Ward-Wallace alleges that two other officers at the scene assaulted him and arrested him on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. He was held without bail for five days before being released, and the charges against him were later dropped.
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Contreras said his client was placed in solitary confinement during his detention and was subjected to unsanitary conditions, including being served meals containing cockroaches.
Ward-Wallace had never been arrested and jailed before in his life, and is well known in the community for his good deeds to support people in need, especially during the pandemic, and for his friendly demeanor.
Ward-Wallace and his wife, Celia, opened their café in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles uprising that followed the police beating of Rodney King. At Friday’s press conference, Celia Ward-Wallace drew a connection between the past and present.
“Thirty-three years later, this week,” she said, “it’s still happening.” A social media post to the cafe’s account stated, “This is America. When they harm one of us, they harm all of us. South Central is standing strong — and the truth will not be silenced…This isn’t just about one man — it’s about dismantling a system built on violence and injustice. We are standing for dignity, safety, and freedom.”
The LAPD has not publicly responded to the allegations.
