Five LAPD officers under investigation in death of woman

[bemildred]

Source: LAT

At least five Los Angeles police officers are under investigation in the death of a woman who stopped breathing during a struggle that included an officer stomping on her genital area and the use of additional force by others to take her into custody, police officials confirmed Thursday.

The altercation in front of her South Los Angeles apartment was captured by a patrol car's video camera.

When asked by The Times about the incident, LAPD Cmdr. Bob Green confirmed that one officer, while trying to get Alesia Thomas into the back of a patrol car, threatened to kick Thomas in the genitals if she did not comply, and then followed through on her threat.

After officers forced Thomas into the back seat of the police car, she is seen on the video breathing shallowly; she eventually stopped breathing.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd-video-20120831,0,3450294.story

[Spacetrucker]

1. held to a higher standard

Why are police held to the lowest standard of the law? It just breaks my heart seeing stories like this and knowing these perpetrators will never be held accountable.It's time the police do not "police" themselves and new rules are set in place.Until then public confidence will remain the same.

[KansDem]

6. It's getting worse...

Incidents like this one are becoming more violent and happening with greater frequency.

Welcome to DU!

[lapfog_1]

2. Earlier in the evening she dropped her two children at the police station

because she was a drug addict and felt she couldn't take care of her children anymore.

They went to her home to arrest her for "child endangerment".

I have to ask, do the LA police feel that THEY are a danger to children?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Killing mothers is child endangerment. . kicked & "rec'ed" so this kind of incident is not lost. nt

[KansDem]

5. Monsignor William Lynn was found guilty of "child endangerment"

CS Monitor

Funny? I don't seem to recall five police officers stomping on his groin...

[Scairp]

13. This makes no sense

Why would a female cop feel the need to threaten to kick a female detainee in the genitals and then do it? I've never felt that would be the thing to do in a physical fight. Snatch another woman bald maybe but not kick her between the legs. Is that what they teach at cop school now?

[heaven05]

3. lapd

I'm beginning to see that they have more than a few bad apples. looks like this kind of stuff happens everyday in LA. Five police officers on one woman, kicking her in the genitals. Must of have been PCP

[jsr]

7. Ah, the World Famous LAPD

AGAIN?

[FreeBC]

8. They "high-fived" after killing her

disgusting

[AnotherMcIntosh]

9. The reported exchange of high-fives occurred after the Jordan incident on 8/21/2012, not after

the Thomas incident. In the Jordan incident, the police handcuffed the 5' 4" registered nurse and body slammed her to the ground. In the Thomas incident, after one LA cop kicked Alesia Thomas' in the genital area, she reportedly subsequently died from suffocation.


Michelle Jordan


Alesia Thomas

[damnedifIknow]

10. Enough

is enough. Watch yourselves out there people.

[Trillo]

11. Innocent until proven guilty?

It could be that once police have "made contact", that one should be considered "punished under the law" and that "double jeopardy" should prevent further prosecution or fines. Nobody can jail or prosecute Ms. Thomas anymore, and she certainly wasn't treated as "innocent until proven guilty."

[L0oniX]

12. ...and they wonder why people run from them ...oh they must be doing something wrong.