Lawyers representing a South Los Angeles man filed suit against the Los Angeles Police Department on Friday, weeks after a video captured a Police officer beat his client while he was handcuffed.
The arrest occurred on July 28 as Alexander Donta Mitchell was waiting for a friend near East 113th Street and Graham Avenue. Police said he was double-parked and facing the wrong way when officers approached him. An LAPD official said during a police commission meeting in July that Mitchell initially refused to get out of the car.
Mitchell’s attorney Brad Gage said his client complied with orders and asked officers why they opened the door for him before asking him to leave his seat.
The video, which has since gone viral, captured the officer’s next actions. It shows the officer punching Mitchell in the face while he is restrained and handcuffed. Neighbors said the man collapsed shortly after the punch. The video of the incident also shows him being taken away in an ambulance.
According to Los Angeles police, he resisted arrest by refusing to put his hands behind his back and by using his right hand to grip his waistband and pocket area.
“An officer then struck Mitchell on the right side of his face, allowing officers to handcuff him,” the agency said in a statement.
The department said the incident was under investigation. The officer was “removed from field duties,” which suggests he was not suspended or placed on leave but was instead reassigned to a desk at the station.
A demand is the precursor to a lawsuit and the city has 45 days to review it before attorneys can file the lawsuit.
