Activist Peppered Spray By Police Caught On Camera

According to Sky news a teacher who was pepper sprayed while talking on the phone to his mum is suing police and the city of Seattle for $500,000 (£330,000).

A camera captured the moment activist Jesse Hagopian was hit in the face in an apparently unprovoked act by a female officer.

He had just given a speech at a Black Lives Matter rally and was walking away when his mum called to talk about his two-year-old son's birthday party.

Mr Hagopian said: "Soon after I answered the call I felt the piercing pain shoot through my eye, my ear drum and my nostril, all over my cheek and face. I yelled out."

The victim's lawyer, James Bible, has filed a suit against the city and police following the incident on Martin Luther King Jr Day.

"He was pepper sprayed irrationally by a police officer, no provocation and no reason," said Mr Bible.

"We wouldn't anticipate that there would be an apology in this case. Frankly the Seattle police department has a long history of violating civil rights."

Mr Hagopian wrote about the incident on social media, saying: "I wish we had a better world."

The teacher posted a picture after washing his face with milk. He then went to his son's party.

"It was a different kind of surprise party this year because the surprise was I came with a rag over my eyes and face and my son had to see this on his birthday," he said.

In 2011, the Seattle force was investigated by the US department of justice, who found they "engaged in a pattern of excessive force that violates the constitution and federal law".

It went on to raise "serious concerns" that some practices of the force "could result in discriminatory policing".