Los Angeles Police Department said monday that it suspended an officer, left unnamed, who was filmed lunging at and punching an injured and restrained suspect in the face. Police say the carjacking suspect, strapped to a gurney and being loaded into an ambulance, was spitting at nearby officers.
"The images of the video are deeply disturbing and while we must wait for the investigation to be completed, the department will act swiftly in any instance of excessive or unnecessary force," LAPD Chief Michel Moore said.
If you don't like that the man was abusive to and spat at the officers, consider the cost of letting these out-of-control meatheads take angry revenge rather than expecting them to simply step back until the spit hood is on. First, it means they're more likely to get wet, and since LAPD officers are refusing to get vaccinated, that means they're more likely to contract and spread Covid. Second, it vastly complicates the prosecution of the alleged carjacker. Thirdly, the alleged carjacker likely wins a financial settlement irrespective of any crime he get gets convicted of. Between 2005 and 2018, Los Angeles paid more than $190 million for police misconduct settlements—all from the taxpayers' pockets, not the police department's.
