Inquiry is opened into LAPD beating of black susp.

[Hellcat]

5

June 24, 2004

Associated Press
Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Earl Paysinger answers a reporter's question after holding a news conference.

LOS ANGELES ' The Los Angeles Police Department opened a use-of-force investigation yesterday after an officer was captured on live television repeatedly striking an unarmed black suspect with a flashlight after the man appeared to have put up his hands and surrendered.

The videotaped pursuit and arrest immediately prompted comparisons to the 1991 police beating of Rodney King, which also followed a high-
peed chase and ultimately sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles and the FBI opened an investigation into the incident, while Mayor James Hahn and top poli

ce officials scrambled to meet with dozens of the city's black and Latino leaders, prom
ising that the case would be handled much differently than the King case 13 years ago.

"I saw what you saw on that videotape, and it upset me. It made me angry," Hahn told a crowd of reporters and community leaders.

"What I saw jeopardizes the work that we have done to try to build that bond of trust between the department and the community. . . . Today, that bond of trust is going to be tested."

Several black leaders voiced outrage at what they saw on tape, saying the city's handling of the investigation could determine relations between their community and the LAPD, which is already under pressure from the federal government to implement reforms resulting from previous
corruption cases.

"Unless some heads roll, nothing will have been accomplished, and we will return to the same dark, bad old days in the relationship between this community and the LAP
D,&q
uot; said John Mack, president of the Urban League.

The motorist, 36-year-old Stanley Miller, was given medical treatment and
booked on charges of grand theft auto. He suffered abrasions to his face and complained that he had been struck in his head and nose, police said.

The incident began at around 5:13 a.m. yesterday, when Miller was spotted driving a car identified by police as stolen. Officers followed the suspect until he jumped out of the car and ran along a flood-control channel.

On the videotape, Miller could be seen running from his car, then slowing and putting up his hands. The first officer to catch up with him forced him to lie face down on the ground, while a third officer on the scene appeared to try to kick Miller once and struck him 11 times with a flashlight in the hea
d or upper torso.

Police officials refused to identify the race or the number of officers involved. Nine were being questioned, and two to four were expected to be placed on paid adm
inistrat
ive leave, said Deputy Chief Earl Paysinger.

Top police brass portrayed the department's response to the incident as a sign that they
are complying with reforms mandated under a federal consent decree.

The officers involved in the incident were separated so they could not change their stories, and all were interviewed on tape, said Deputy Chief Sharon Papa.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/2...n24beating.html

 

[Border Ruffian]

5

Hard to tell for sure, but it looks like a non-white officer. No riots, i guess.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/West/06/23/police.beating/

video on page.

Mayor James Hahn said the videotape jeopardizes reforms made in the wake of similar incidents and will test the "bond of trust" with the community.

Video shot from news helicopters shows the suspect running for a short distance before slowing to a stop, apparently
opting to surrender to officers pursuing him on foot.

The suspect appeared to raise both arms and drop to his knees. The first arriving officer drew his weapon, but put it back in his holster and the

n tackled the suspect, forcing him to the ground.

The second officer also jumps on the suspect, who is on the ground
in a prone position, while a third officer arrives and appears to kick him in the head. This same officer then drops to the ground, takes out his flashlight and can be seen swinging down at the suspect's head area 11 times. He also appears to use his knee to strike the suspect.

The video shows other LAPD officers arriving on foot and surrounding the suspect, who remains motionless on the ground.

Officers began chasing the stolen car shortly after 5 a.m. (8 a.m. ET).

The pursuit ended in the city of Compton, when the driver jumped out of the vehicle and fled.

Officers to be quizzed

Deputy police chief Earl Paysinger said the 37-year-old African-Ame
rican suspect received medical treatment.

Paysinger said the man had some slight abrasions and had complained of an injury to his nose, but was otherwise "fine."

The suspect
had
not filed a formal complaint, he said, but nine officers are being interviewed about the incident.

"We will go through this with a fine-toothed comb, asking
the questions the community wants to know," Los Angeles Inspector General Andre Birotte promised.

David Cunningham, the civilian head of the city's police department, added: "Assuming there is a finding of excessive force, there will be zero tolerance."

The footage is reminiscent of the 1991 beating of Rodney King by four LAPD officers.

"Unless some heads roll, we will return to some dark, bad, old days of the LAPD," Los Angeles Urban League President John Mack said.

Community activist Najee Ali held a news conference in front of LAPD's Parker Center shortly after the broadcast of the
incident to express his outrage at the beating and demand an independent investigation.

He called on the Justice Department and the attorney general's office to get involved.
<
br>&quo
t;We want this officer criminally prosecuted," Ali said. "We saw an unarmed man be beaten on camera who seemed to be cooperating and not resisting arrest so we're outraged and shocked ... It's very unfortunate that af
ter the Rodney King beating we still have rogue officers within the LAPD."

Ali said that the LAPD contacted him first to tell him about the incident and to say the police were "on top of this."

But he also told CNN the LAPD had asked him to cancel his news conference, and when he refused, the department asked if he could "soften it up."

At the news conference, Ali called the incident a litmus test for LAPD Chief William Bratton.

"We're sending a message out to Chief Bratton that we've gotten rid of [former chief] Daryl
Gates because he did not take the Rodney King beating -- police abuse -- serious and if he [Bratton] doesn't take this serious, we'll get rid of you," Ali said.

The
four offic
ers who were seen beating King on the infamous video were acquitted of all charges in 1992, leading to days of rioting in Los Angeles that left 55 people dead.

Two of the officers were later convicted in a federal trial of violating King's civil rights.

Last week, the LAPD announced it ha
d fully implemented reforms it was required to put into practice by a federal consent decree in 2001, after the Justice Department found numerous instances of civil rights violations in the agency.

 

[Hellcat]

5

Officer says he was warned LA beating victim had a gun
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES --- The Los Angeles police officer seen on videotape striking a man with a flashlight 11 times has told investigators he kicked and repeatedly hit the suspected car thief because another officer yelled that the man was armed with a gun, sources close to the investigation said Friday.

The beating of the black suspect, which has once again thrust the LAPD into the national spotlight, came at the end of a 28-minute car chase early Wednesday. News footage of the incident shot from helicopters captured a scene that some department critics said is reminiscent of the 1991 beating of black motorist Rodney King by
APD officers.

According to sources, officer John Hatfield, the seven-year veteran at the center of the current brutality investigation, said he delivered the blows to get the suspect to submit to off

icers who were trying
to handcuff him, sources said.

The object that one officer mistook for a gun turned out to be wire cutters, which were found in the suspect's right front pants pocket, the sources said.

Officer Hatfield's account was corroborated by other officers at the scene, sources said. Additionally, there were radio transmissions during the pursuit, in which officers said they witnessed the suspect make "furtive movements" and believed he may have been arming himself, sources said.

Officers said they also were concerned that the suspect, 36-year-old Stanley Miller, was concealing something, possibly a weapon, in his left hand. What Miller was clinching was money: A five-dollar bill and three ones, the officers later learned.

Attorney Mark Werksma
n, who represents Miller, said his client had no idea why the officer began hitting him with the flashlight.

"If this officer shouted `gun,' my client certainly didn't hear it,&q
uot;
he said.

Werksman said he did not know whether his client
had a pair of wire cutters in his pocket, but that it shouldn't have mattered even if he did.

"It's a Keystone Kops response to scream `gun' and pound a guy 11 times with a flashlight when he's already pinned to the ground and then say `oops, guess it was a pair of wire cutters,' " the lawyer said. "It's preposterous."

If the officers' account is true, it may mitigate the graphic images seen on the video which have prompted criminal investigations by several agencies and have been criticized by top city leaders, including Mayor James Hahn.

"I'm demanding an explanation," Hahn said at a City Hall news conference Friday, "it better be a good one. It looks t
o me that force was unwarranted."

LAPD officials declined comment on their ongoing investigation. Andre Birotte, the police commission's inspector general, also declined to c
omment o
n the details of the case.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2648
576

 

[Hellcat]

5

No charges, for now, for beaten suspect
8 Los Angeles officers are on desk duty during investigation of taped beating with flashlight.

Community activist Shaka Satori (right) speaks to reporters outside a Los Angeles police station. Activists gathered there to protest the flashlight beating of a man by a Los Angeles police officer.
Stefano Paltera / the Associated Press

Miller


By Mason Stockstill
The Associated Press

Compton, Calif.
Prosecutors declined to file charges Friday against a suspected car thief who was pummeled with a flashlight by a Los Angeles police officer --an arrest that has drawn comparisons to the Rodney King beating

.
The district attorney's office said charges would not be filed for now because there were questions about whether the
arresting officers would be able to testify against the suspect. But prosecutors did not rule out possible charges in the future.

Stanley Miller, 36, remained jailed on a parole violation, said his defense attorney Mark Werksman.

Werksman said Miller should be released so he can receive medical attention for injuries suffered during the beating on Wednesday after he appeared to surrender.

Miller complained of dizziness, difficulty breathing and a swollen nose, Werksman said. During the videotape, an officer struck him 11 times with a metal flashlight.

Police previously characterized Miller's injuries as a "very minor abrasion" on his face.
Sgt. Catherine Plows said Friday he was given a complete medical examination after his arrest.

But Miller's civil attorney, David Nussbaum, said his client needed more treatment. "The
poli
ce or anyone can spin any story they want that he doesn't appear to be injured ... Believe me, he's injured," he said.

Miller was released from prison in
February. He has a criminal record dating back to 1994 that includes car theft, forgery and attempting to escape custody, records showed. One probation report described him as a longtime crack cocaine user.

Three officers involved in the videotaped beating of Miller will be investigated for excessive use of force, Police Chief William Bratton said.

A total of eight officers have been placed on desk duty.

A police union representative urged the public not to jump to conclusions. "In some cases, I think we've seen a rush to judgment," said Los Angeles Police Protective League President Bob Baker. &
quot;We want a complete, thorough, transparent investigation."

Meanwhile, dozens of activists voiced outrage over the incident at a rally in Los Angeles.


<a href='http:
//www.ne
ws-leader.com/today/0626-Nocharges,-120567.html' target='_blank'>http://www.news-leader.com/today/0626-Nocharges,-120567.html</a>

 

[Hellcat]

5

L.A. policeman says he thought beaten suspect was armed
Copyright â┚¬Ã…¡ÃƒÆ’”�šÃ”š© 2004 Nando Media
Copyright â┚¬Ã…¡ÃƒÆ’”�šÃ”š© 2004 AP Online


The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (June 26, 7:21 am ADT) - A police officer caught on videotape pummeling a suspected car thief with a flashlight said he delivered the blows because another officer warned that the man was carrying a gun, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
John J. Hatfield told investigators that another officer attempting to handcuff 36-year-old Stanley Miller after a car chase Wednesday felt a metal object in Miller's pants, the newspaper said, citing anonymous sources.

Hatfield tried to subdue Miller by kicking him and striking him
11 times with a metal flashlight. The object mistaken for a gun was later revealed to be wire cutters in Miller's right front pants pocket.

Hatfield's account was corroborated by two other of

ficers at the scene, the Times report
ed. Officers were also concerned that Miller may have been concealing a weapon in his left hand, but they later learned he was clenching money.

A defense lawyer was unsure whether Miller had wire cutters but said the beating was unjustified.

"It's a Keystone Kops response to scream, 'gun,' and pound a guy 11 times with a flashlight when he's already pinned to the ground and then say, 'Oops, guess it was a pair of wire cutters,'" attorney Mark Werksman said.

On Friday, prosecutors declined to file charges against Miller because there were questions about whether the arresting officers would be able to testify against the suspect. But prosecutors did not rule out possible charges in the future.

The treatment of
Miller, a black man, has drawn comparisons with the Rodney King beating in 1991 and sparked criticism by city leaders.

"I'm demanding an explanation," Mayor James K. Hahn said at
a C
ity Hall news conference Friday. "It better be a good one. It looks to me that force was unw
arranted."

Dozens of activists voiced outrage over the incident at a rally Friday in downtown Los Angeles. Many protesters carried flashlights like the one Hatfield used to strike Miller.

Hatfield, who is Hispanic , and two other officers involved in Miller's arrest will be investigated for excessive use of force. Eight officers have been placed on desk duty as the FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigate. The LAPD also has started an internal probe.

Miller, 36, remained jailed on a parole violation, his attorney said.

Miller's lawyer argued that he should be released so he can receive medical treatment for any injuries suffered during the b
eating.

Police previously characterized Miller's injuries as a "very minor abrasion" on his face. Sgt. Catherine Plows said Friday he was given a complete medical examina
tion aft
er his arrest.

Miller was released from prison in February. He has a criminal record dating back to 1994 that includes car theft, forge
ry and attempting to escape, records show. One probation report described him as a longtime crack cocaine user.
http://www.adn.com/24hour/nation/story/145...p-8853528c.html

 

[The Bobster]

5

Somehow the media have forgotten who the criminal is. The bastard might even skate. I bet that'll make the guy whose car was stolen very happy.