I have imported my post from another thread on the same topic: Here goes...
From what I saw in the video, although we cannot hear it, the lady's door was open (for what ever unknown reason) and it is possible that the officers may have ordered to exit her vehicle (for whatever unknown reason).
Not trying to justify, but I'd bet that at this point she probably asked what for and told 'em to "get bent" and apparently, they did.
Now assuming that they had some reasonable suspicion of something illegal (other than talking on the cell while driving, which in my book makes her an ignoramus) then they would be all legit in ordering her out of the vehicle and even up to the point of the first take down justified by refusing an (assumed) lawful order.
But everything I see beyond that, I feel was completely excessive and unnecessary. Surely they had no idea that there was surveillance.
Hate to put it out there but this was
every day LAPD and LASD when I was a kid (back in the days before there was a camera on every block). The only positive aspect about it (if you could call it that) was that if you were willing to take a cuffed beat down at the station and there were enough witnesses around, you could actually get a crack or two in (before five of them dog piled on you and put you in the car) and not have to worry about being charged for assault on an officer.
Based on your black and blue appearance (from an elevator ride in LA County jail), the judge usually would give no heed to any claims of assault on an officer (or the cops wouldn't even bring it up). My older brother (by nine years) was one of these gluttons for punishment.
He's one of the few people I know that has knocked out a number of cops while cuffed (martial arts
maniac) and was never charged with assaulting an officer. He used to do it to the shore patrol also when he was in the Navy. Spent a lot of time in the brig but never got kicked out because of his particular expertise at which he was quite good.
Of course, he did not run either and he paid for it at the lock up in the form of missing teeth and cracked ribs. Takes a real hero to beat up an man while he's cuffed I guess. But, my brother was a knucklehead in his prime years. What can I say.
That was a different time in LA.
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