Alleged LAPD Brutality Video Sparks Probe

Video footage posted on YouTube.com showing a police officer repeatedly striking a suspect in the face during an arrest three months ago has triggered an FBI investigation.

The video shows two officers holding down William Cardenas, 24, on a Hollywood street as one punches him several times in the face before they are able to handcuff him. The struggling suspect yells repeatedly "I can't breathe!"

The footage, shot by an area resident, came to the FBI's attention Thursday, prompting investigators to open a civil rights inquiry into the Aug. 11 incident, agency spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

A Superior Court commissioner who viewed the video nearly two months ago and heard the officers' testimony has already found that their conduct was "more than reasonable" under the circumstances because Cardenas was resisting, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The police department has begun its own criminal and administrative investigations into the officers' use of force, said police spokesman Lt. Paul Vernon.

The officers were identified as Alexander Schlegel and Patrick Farrell. Both have been reassigned to administrative work.

"There's no denying that the video is disturbing," Chief William Bratton said at a news conference. "But as to whether the actions of the officers were appropriate in light of what they were experiencing and the totality of the circumstances is what the investigation will determine."

Vernon said Cardenas is a known gang member who had been wanted on a felony warrant for receiving stolen property.

In an arrest report obtained by The Associated Press, the officers said they tried to arrest Cardenas as he and two others were drinking beer on a sidewalk.

Cardenas ran and the officers caught up to him, tripped him and swarmed over him to apply handcuffs, the report said.

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Watch footage of the LAPD arrest.

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The officers described repeated blows to the suspect's face in the report, as well as his efforts to resist, and their concern that he might grab one of their guns during the brawl.

"The suspect's hand covered my partner's gun holster so I yelled at my partner to watch his gun. My partner responded by capping his gun and delivering a left elbow to the suspect's face causing the suspect to let go of him," the report said.

With Cardenas still resisting, one officer used pepper spray on him, but that had "little effect," the report said. The officers were only able to handcuff him after two of his friends arrived and told him to stop fighting, according to the report.

Cardenas suffered cuts and bruises on his arms, leg and face, and received stitches on an eyelid. His attorney, B. Kwaku Duren, accused the officers of violating his client's civil rights and claimed department investigators were stalling.

"I think the LAPD is being caught covering up an obvious excessive use of force," he said.

Cardenas, who was held without bail, faces charges of resisting arrest.

Authorities learned of the video footage when the defense made it public Sept. 14 during Cardenas' preliminary hearing, police said. The district attorney's office will decide whether to continue with the case, which is scheduled for trial Nov. 20, said spokeswoman Jane Robison.

[delciacrockett]

I just saw this video while researching police breaking the law.

http://policethugs.com/video-multiple-lmpd-officers-being-investigated-for-recent-incidents/

They not only allowed a bad neighbor to stalk and harass me, but they told me not to call them, and said she could break the law - for me not to call, that was not what they were there for. I have no criminal record and they almost put me in handcuffs and took me out of my own home, after I put a note on her windshield and asked her to leave me alone and explained why, after my spending 10 years of trying to be a good neighbor and friend to her, and all she did was hurt me and others in word and deed. I did not resist arrest. The officer who arrived used intimidating and severe language and threat of my property and wages being taken from me, as well as my going to jail. Then, the police put me under surveillance for more than a year (still under it) and followed me every where I went. It affected my church worship, my job, my private home life, even my walk on the trail. I am a prisoner in my own home. And I am a person who has never smoked, drunk, been around drugs and am a devoted wife and mother. One of the officers is said to be "in love" with me, but it all stems from the bad neighbor and my just wanting my privacy and right to be left alone. Every word I say and every move I make in private is being made a matter of record, and for no other reason than just because they can. The neighbor can be heard, at any given point. I am sick of this. What can I do, but go public with a full investigation request.

In Columbia, Missouri, I am doing everything I can to get a full investigation of the CPD. Is there any advice you can can give me? There are other cases of police abuse in this town, even an officer serving time for murder and an officer who went into a cell and injured someone in aggressive bullying and assault. He lost his job, but he should have been charged with assault, as he cost the city a small fortune in settlement money. He should have been made to make restitution of that money to the hard-working, honest taxpayers in this town.

At present, three top candidates for deputy chief are all women, when a "nationwide search" is said to have taken place. Our town hired an outside chief who now seems to be practicting the inside favoritism that he was hired to clean up the town of crime. Crime has risen in Columbia. There are robberies and shootings on a regular basis, when just a little over 10 years ago, Columbia was named in a national magazine as in the top ten safest places in America to live.

I do not feel safe. I, who thought the police were earth angels in uniform before this happened to me, am now among those who do not look at the police, their cars in passing and want nothing to do with them, in any way. They have taken away my feeling of safety. No wonder Columbia is losing its safe status in the country. It is hitting home on each street in which we live, day by day.



Thank you for your time and help. I need answers, and the public deserves the right to know. Some things are worth believing it, and when that trust is gone, the feeling of safety is gone with it.

Sincerely,
Delcia Crockett

[feelfree1]

There are way too many of these likely steroid abusing cowards on police forces acrosss the country.

They pose a far greater threat to public safety than any "gang member", since they enjoy the public trust, which they abuse, and can hide their crimes behind a badge. They also put the safety of honest and professional police officers in great jeopardy.

I'd prefer to take my chances with a "criminal" than with one of these abusive cops anyday. At least I can defend myself against an alleged criminal without facing prison, torture, and/or summary execution as a result.

Once again, the apologist Western Corporate press paves the way for continued abuses by these officers, with their ridiculous "journalism" and "expert" consultants.

[justsayitt]

I do believe that im being impartial and that i see both sides clearly. On one side you have the
LAPD whom i respect fully do have some compassion for the officers that are committed to proctect & serve.Then you have the other's which i consider every one who's not a police officer or connected to them. BUt with all due respect the last time I heard LAPD WASN'T drafting people, and other then the Chief which is appointed are all volenteers. As a Veteran U.S. Army paratrooper I fully understand the difference that what was expected from me, and what the public expects from are brave officers in Blue.My mission was clear, policing was what i did when at garrison was police call. If it dont grow , pick it up.Yes , I do hold all law men to a higher standered.In one form we both have a end up if needed to use deadly force. Now where we differ stops right there. they must police 1st and formost, and extingish all ave before coming to that conclusion, because an office tripped and skined his knee while engaging in a foot persuit, should never cause him do what we all seen him do.I think we all no better and are quite confident that those two officers are a force to be . and together their tough enough to battle and take down all.Remember
officers,As I was indoctrinated, A Paratrooper is Americas gaurd of honor, thus i believe so are you the City of Los Angeles Gaurd of honor.

[neogeocat]

this is to dyehard39,
if u look at he video in slow motion
u can clearly see another cop was holding his hand , also the cop say he's a gang member ?
but they found no proof of that ,
also he was pepper spary , and he was yelling
he cant breath he just needed air
and if ur being punch, ur action is ur block at any cost , still the cop got no right to hit the guy while he's already down on the ground
i recall when i was in middle school cutting class lol when a cop pull over , handcuf me
pull me in the car saying all kind of bad thing
calling me a *** low life etc
and take me back to school btw the cop was white
i told ppl but no one believe me

[neogeocat]

gang member ? resisting arrest ?
they are sitting on him
William Cardenas was pepper spary
we might not know the whole story
BUT at that point of time , seeing the video
he was detan , u just needed air
what happen to innocent until proven guilty
is this america or are we in korean
police got too much power , still it dosent gave the police the right to hit a man or a woman when he's already down on the floor
btw i saw this site about cop
how sad , i use to think cop are nice when i was young and they are the good guy
now im having second though
hearing all this police brutality time after time

[hsmagst]

To olebd: I live in Los Angeles and I have seen and experienced the police here. As far as I am concerned, you can't tell the difference between the gangs and the police except for the black uniform.......they are both oppressive. I have experienced racial profiling first hand, being a white man that lives in a predominatly Hispanic neighborhood, I can almost guarantee I am going to get stopped and accused of buying drugs if I drive around at 2am. I've even had police cars follow me into my own driveway for no reason except the color of my skin. I'm not some young guy either, i'm 60 years old and the LA police are thugs.

[jn122736]

"An officer, chocking a man (any man) to death with his knee in his throat and beating him with his fist for trying to stay alive is justified?"

Can anyone answer this question for me? and remember your words and actions speaks to your character.

[jn122736]

an officer, chocking a man (any man) to death with his knee in his throat and beating him with his fist for trying to stay alive is justified?

[trackday]

I'm unable to find fault with any reasonable action taken to subdue an uncooperative subject of an arrest. Those that do cooperate don't represent a threat to police at the scene. Those that don't cooperate always do represent a threat.

Unfortunately, there is no way for police to measure the level of that threat at that time. It MAY be life threatening. Consistent with that, a reasonable person must assume that it is life threatening until proven otherwise and take reasonable actions to ensure that they get home to their family safe and sound.

We do not pay our pubic safety rank and file to be subject to any unreasonable threats.

Accordingly, they took reasonable and swift action, as they well should.

[dyehard39]

Has anyone seen the scene where the officer punches the gang member. Does it appears to be excessive force.
I have seen it over and over and I do not see "excessive force" If he could not breath, he could not have been able to say; "I can't breath" and why should the police have believe him. This man was still a threat., considering the man is not fully restrained. If he had been handcuffed, then I would say it was excessive force.
He was not fully restrained,knowing he was a "known violent gang member" and what is was capable of.
The was a known violent gang member and any force should have been used to restrain him in hand cuffs.
This criminal will sue the police department and collect million.