Los Angeles police officials are investigating an LAPD officer who was seen beating a handcuffed man in a now-viral video, an incident that has sparked calls for the officer to be criminally charged.
Authorities said the altercation occurred Sunday in the Southeast Police Division, which covers 10 square miles in the Watts area.
In a brief statement posted on social media site X, the department confirmed the incident was under investigation and said the officer involved had been “removed from field duties.” The officer’s name was not mentioned.
The department said the incident began during a traffic stop but did not offer further details about what preceded the crash.
A video posted online by a bystander shows two officers struggling with a large man who has his hands bound behind his back with two pairs of handcuffs, standing next to a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car. The man did not appear to be struggling with the officers and could be heard loudly demanding, “What did I do?” just before one of the officers suddenly reaches back and hits him in the jaw with a punch. The man did not appear to be fazed by the blow.
The punch prompted cries of condemnation from several onlookers off-camera, who can be heard demanding to know why the punch was thrown.
“You're resisting,” one of the officers can be heard saying as the man is led away.
“No, I’m not,” the man replies.
As the images began to circulate on the Internet, a coalition of Los Angeles civil rights leaders and organizations began calling on Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón to immediately file criminal charges against the unnamed Los Angeles Police Department officer.
“It’s shocking that this officer attacked a handcuffed man who was already restrained. This is not about resistance. It’s like they haven’t learned anything since the Rodney King beating, which is also caught on video,” said Najee Ali, director of the Islamic Hope Project. “He doesn’t deserve to be on the force. He deserves to be handcuffed and sitting in a jail cell.”
Ali said the incident occurred in the 1700 block of East 113th Street in Watts, several blocks east of the Nickerson Gardens housing development.
