1549 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 LAPD Beats Man After Long Chase Pursuit Suspect Beaten in Controversial Use of Force LOS ANGELES — Police today chased a man suspected of driving a stolen car and arrested him in Compton, and news footage showed an LAPD officer hitting him repeatedly with a flashlight after he appeared to surrender. The chase began shortly after 5 a.m. in an area patrolled by the Los Angeles Police Department's Southeast Station, said LAPD Officer Sandra Escalante of the Media Relations office. The man's name was not immediately released, and it was unclear if he was injured. Patrolling LAPD officers saw a white Toyota Camry that was reported stolen from Compton, Escalante said, adding that the officers tried in vain to pull the vehicle over. The pursuit reportedly ended on Caldwell Street in Compton, where the man got out and ran off. Eyewitness News aired footage shot from a helicopter that showed the man running down a grassy area near the Compton Creek. He stopped, got down on his hands and knees and appeared to surrender to an officer. Several other officers then ran up and the man was forced face down onto the ground, where one of the officers struck at the man's upper body at least 10 times with a long flashlight. Reportedly, one officer told a local news station that the man had been resisting. The footage was eerily similar to the infamous video of the beating of Rodney King in 1991, which also happened at the end of a nighttime LAPD pursuit. King was struck dozens of times by officers using batons after he led them on a chase that began in the LAPD's Foothill Station jurisdiction. Video shot by an amateur cameraman and broadcast worldwide showed officers striking and kicking King. Officers were later acquitted by a Simi Valley jury in connection with the beating, triggering the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The officers were subsequently convicted of federal charges. Today's incident came only days after the LAPD entered a two-year period during which it must show substantial compliance with a raft of reforms mandated under a consent degree agreement reached by the city of Los Angeles and the U.S. Justice Department in 2001. If it fails to demonstrate compliance, federal monitoring of the LAPD will continue beyond the two-year period. The city agreed to the consent decree as a way of staving off a federal lawsuit after the Justice Department reported that it had identified a "pattern and practice" of civil rights violations by the LAPD. Copyright ©2004 ABC Inc., KABC-TV Inc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerhead johnson Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 The Justice Department reported that it had identified a "pattern and practice" of civil rights violations by the LAPD. If you're stealing cars and running from the cops, you deserve to have the living s*** beaten out of you. LAPD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldmember Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 i saw this live on the news this morning. they are blowing it way out of proportion. it took like six officers to restrain the guy after they had him on the ground... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubKilla Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 If you're stealing cars and running from the cops, you deserve to have the living s*** beaten out of you. LAPD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlliniBob72 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I think it is a bit much to lead police officers on a harrowing car chase and then expect them to treat you kindly, but the fact remains that you can't beat someone with a flashlight. What I find more amazing is that in today's age where there are cameras, video recorders, and photo taking cell phones that cops would still do this. When will they learn that people are watching? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 i saw this live on the news this morning. they are blowing it way out of proportion. it took like six officers to restrain the guy after they had him on the ground... I wonder what the toxicology reports (was he tested for drugs?) will say. Also the hospital report says there were only minor injuries (or so states NBC5). If he was beaten that much, wouldn't his injuries be worse? I wonder if it comes out that they guys had drugs in system if it changes public opinion. A few months back in Cincy (I think) there was that 300lb+ man that was resisting arrest and had several types of drugs in his system. I remember everyone was up in arms at first and nothing was said later. My FSIL is a paramedic and has had to deal with people that had the same type of drugs in their system and said the strength they get is unreal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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