Legal Commentary

Ain't That a Kick In the Head (LAPD Style)

By TChris

KTTV has the latest video of an LAPD officer administering a needless blow (this time a kick to the head) to a prostrate suspect who, by the time the officer reached him (this time at the end of a high speed chase), wasn't resisting arrest.

Video of the arrest from a hovering media helicopter showed Rodriguez dropping to the ground with his arms and legs spread before officers reached him. The first officer to reach him approached the prone suspect with his gun drawn, then kicked him in the head. He and another officer jumped on top of the suspect, and one officer struck the man several times while trying to handcuff him.

Rodriguez leaves his car about ten minutes into the twelve minute video. [more ...]

As Rodriguez raced away from an officer who tried to perform a traffic stop, he threw something out of his window. He drove recklessly (speeding through intersections, briefly driving on a sidewalk, and entering a lane of oncoming traffic) before crashing into an SUV. At the end of the chase, it's understandable that the officer's adrenalin was elevated. None of that justifies the use of excessive force. If a cop can't exercise self-control in a stressful situation, he shouldn't be a cop.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on May 14, 2009 (boomark / email).