A bystander’s video of a violent arrest by a Los Angeles Police officer has sparked an investigation following outrage in reaction to the footage. Fortunately, the Black man at the center of the arrest is alive, but what the officer did to him was a disturbing sight.
Alexander Mitchell, 28, was seen in a video being arrested by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department. Authorities say the incident happened during the early evening Sunday when officers conducted the traffic stop because Mitchell allegedly double parked his vehicle against the flow of traffic in the Watts neighborhood.
Upon approaching the vehicle, officers said they didn’t realize Mitchell was inside due to his tints. However, once they found he was inside, they ordered him to step outside the car to detain him.
In the video, he’s seen with his hands behind his back as the officers struggle to handcuff him.
“What did I do though?!” Mitchell shouts. Immediately after, one officer punches him directly in the jaw.
“I’m finna sue. Call your supervisor,” Mitchell says above the shouts of horror heard behind the camera.
After Mitchell was handcuffed, the same officer pins him up against the patrol car with his knee in between Mitchell’s legs. Bystanders continued to shout at the officers from behind the camera.
Mitchell’s attorney said in a press conference that Mitchell was hit more than once before the camera started rolling. He was also never told why he was being stopped or detained, Mitchell’s family claims.
Authorities say he was sent to the hospital following the arrest for “medical clearance.” Afterwards, he was arrested for obstructing and resisting arrest. However, he was released with a misdemeanor citation, per ABC 7 News.
“As a crowd began to gather around the scene, additional backup was requested. During the handcuffing process, Mitchell resisted by refusing to place his hands behind his back and grasping his front waistband/pocket area with his right hand, preventing the officers from securing him. An officer then struck Mitchell on the right side of his face, enabling the officers to complete the handcuffing,” the LAPD said in a statement.
The department also said the officer in question has been “removed from field duties.” On the other hand, Mitchell’s family demands accountability for what they perceive as an injustice.
“That officer sucker punched my son while he was in handcuffs. And we’re tired,” said Mitchell’s mother, An’tneal Harris, during a press conference. “He needs to be reprimanded. He needs to be fired. He needs not to be working for, hired at another police station. He needs to be gone.”