Los Angeles police officer is under investigation after being accused of beating and kicking a suspect who was being held down by other officers, according to sources close to the probe.
The altercation was captured by a private companys security camera. Several police officials who saw the video told The Times that the officer delivered a powerful kick to the suspects head. One said the officer resembled a football player kicking a field goal. Another described it as horrific. The suspect, they said, had surrendered and was not resisting the officers.
A lawyer for the officer confirmed that the suspect was kicked but said the blow landed on the mans shoulder. He said the officers used appropriate force on the suspect while trying to handcuff him.
After inquiries from The Times, Chief Charlie Beck released a statement Friday saying he was extremely concerned about this particular use of force.
This investigation is ongoing, and there is still much that needs to be done to determine the facts of this matter, but let me be very clear, any officer that is found to abuse the public is not welcome in this department, and we will apply whatever legal or administrative means necessary to insure the communitys trust without exception, Beck said.
The four officers involved in the arrest and a sergeant who arrived on scene afterward have been relieved of duty with pay as the department investigates the Oct. 16 incident.
The suspect, Clinton Alford, 22, sustained a gash on his ear and was taken to a hospital for stitches and a head scan. He was booked on suspicion of drug possession and resisting arrest and later released on his own recognizance. He has pleaded not guilty.
In an interview at his South Los Angeles home, Alford denied the drug charge and said he feared for his life during the encounter. I was just praying that they wouldnt kill me. I just closed my eyes and tried to hold on, he said.
Alford said he was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk along Avalon Boulevard near 55th Street when a car pulled up behind him. A man shouted a command to stop, but Alford said he continued pedaling because the man did not identify himself as a police officer. When someone grabbed the back of the bike, Alford said he jumped off and ran.
After a short foot pursuit, two officers caught up to Alford. Footage from the security camera on a nearby building captured Alford voluntarily laying down on the street and putting his hands behind his back, according to several people who viewed the recording. The officers restrained Alford, who made no movements and did not resist, the sources said.
