An officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was caught on video punching a Black man during a traffic stop and civil rights activists want the District Attorney’s Office to file criminal charges against the officer.
The incident happened on Sunday in the Watts area. On Monday, a statement by the LAPD revealed the officer was removed an officer from field duty and that the incident was under investigation.
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Lou Shapiro, a criminal defense attorney and a legal analyst, told KNX News’ Jon Baird he doesn’t like what he saw on the video.
“The suspect seems to be complying. One of his hands are cuffed, the other one is about to be cuffed,” he said. “There are two officers not one. There just doesn't seem to be any justification for that punch at that moment.”
Steve Meister, another criminal defense attorney and a former L.A. County prosecutor, also watched the video.
“It looks to the untrained eye like mine that this was just a gratuitous punch and it had and it shouldn't have happened,” he told KNX News' Jon Baird.
So what happens next? Shapiro said two independent investigations into the incident will be conducted simultaneously.
“One [will be done] on the internal side by LAPD to decide if any disciplinary action should be taken from an employment perspective,” he said. “The other side is going perhaps to the District Attorney's Office to decide whether or not to file criminal charges in this case.”
When it comes to the D.A. deciding whether or not to charge the officer, Meister said a thorough investigation will need to happen.
“They have to track down every witness and piece of video they can like the bodycam footage, like the video footage of anyone who was there who will let the police look at their phones too the officer’s history,” he said. “And they're gonna look at his partner, The puncher’s partner is going to be scrutinized for what he did or didn't do during the stop.”
On Tuesday morning, the man seen being punched by the officer as well as his lawyer and family will hold a press conference.
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