LAPD Releases Video Of Officer Punching, Breaking Nose Of Handcuffed Man

Los Angeles Police Department has released footage showing one of their officers assaulting a man in handcuffs. The LAPD released the 56-minute body cam footage on YouTube on Sunday (July 28), showing two officers arresting a Black man named Alexander “Dante” Mitchell.

Cardi B Apologizes After "Joking" About LAPD Stripping Her "Butt-Naked" Over Drugs And Weapons

The Los Angeles Times reports that the arrest stemmed from a double parking dispute in LA’s Watts neighborhood. Police are shown initially tapping on his car glass asking him to roll down his window. Mitchell questions why he’s being stopped before being asked to step out of the vehicle. As he exits the car, the interaction with the LAPD grows hostile almost immediately.

The LAPD then attempted to pat down the man, looking for a weapon and trying to latch handcuffs on his wrists. Mitchell can be seen in a struggle with two officers as they wrangle him about as the man’s loved ones observe the incident on call for his release. “What did I do? I didn’t do nothing,” he repeatedly asks the officers. Suddenly one of the cops punches the Watts man in his face, causing the crowd of spectators to go in a frenzy. At this point, one of the unnamed police officers equips a taser and demands that the onlookers stay back.

ABC 7 obtained a statement from the LAPD regarding the incident on Tuesday (Aug. 30). The police department described the incident, calling attention to Mitchell “resisting arrest.”

“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 statement reads.

Mitchell’s attorney, Brad Gage, and his mother, An’tonel Harris, held a press conference on Tuesday (July 30), claiming that the punch left the man with a broken nose and injured jaw. “It doesn’t make sense,” Harris, Mitchell’s said at the press conference. “He’s complying. He’s listening, and you still punch him? A sucker punch!”

George Floyd's Sister Says Derek Chauvin Has "Not One Time Never Ever, Ever Apologized"

“This officer clearly has anger management issues,” Gage said. “He does not deserve to remain on the force. We’re calling on the district attorney’s office to investigate and to prosecute.”

Since the incident, both officers in the footage have since been removed from street duties as an investigation continues. The LAPD has not released the names of the men.

Tuesday also saw the interim LAPD Chief Blake Chow speak of the incident, saying, “There was an active use of force investigation as well as a complaint investigation… The goal is to complete both of those investigations, you know, within the next three weeks.”

Alexander “Dante” Mitchell, 28, was transported to a hospital where he was treated for his injuries. Mitchell was then booked for resisting arrest before bein released with a misdemeanor citation.

Vic Mensa Says Violence From "Your Own Kind" Is A Bigger Issue Than Police