A shocking new video is bringing up an issue with some troubled history in southern California — accusations of excessive force and police brutality. Here's how KABC described the incident.
"An arrest so violent, it is hard to watch. ... She started to walk down the on-ramp and then turned around and came back up and crossed lanes of traffic — endangering herself and the motoring public." (Via KABC)
Police say it happened just before 6 p.m. July 1 near an on-ramp on I-10. KCBS reports the California Highway Patrol officer punched the woman more than 10 times while he was sitting on top of her.
Highway patrol did not cite a specific charge against the woman, only saying she endangered the public by wandering along the highway and that she had been arrested and taken to the hospital for a mental and physical evaluation. Accusations of brutality and excessive force have proved a reccurring problem for the L.A. area.
Earlier this year, hundreds of people protested the acquittal of two police officers accused of beating a mentally ill homeless man to death during a violent struggle back in 2011. The jury found the officers' actions were justified. (Via KTTV)
In 2012, the Los Angeles Times reported a woman who LAPD officers shot back in 2009 was awarded more than $3 million after the jury found the department's actions malicious. Police said they shot the woman after she threatened to kill someone.
The paper added: "The $3.2-million award ... adds to a long string of verdicts and settlements in police-related cases that have cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over the last decade."
Probably the most notable and most controversial case involved Rodney King — a construction worker beaten by police after a high-speed car chase back in 1991. (Via ABC)
A jury acquitted the police officers involved in the video, which set off one of the worst riots in history. The violent 1992 King verdict riots killed more than 50 people. (Via KNBC)
According to KNBC, the police officer involved in the video has been put on paid administrative leave. The highway patrol would not identify the officer.
