LAPD Also Probes Knee Strikes

The Los Angeles police investigation into the beating of car-theft suspect Stanley Miller is going beyond the 11 flashlight blows administered by Officer John J. Hatfield to include a second officer who is seen on TV news footage kneeing the suspect while the man is down.

That blow, delivered by Officer Peter Bueno, occurred 54 seconds after police pushed Miller to the ground about 6 a.m. June 23 at the end of a chase through South Los Angeles and into Compton.

At the time, seven officers, including a sergeant, were on top of Miller, apparently trying to handcuff him. Bueno is seen grasping Miller before ramming his knee into the suspect’s midsection. KTTV-TV Channel 11 carried the kneeing live on its morning news program, but KABC-TV Channel 7 by that time had cut away.

In addition, officials are examining at least five knee strikes that Hatfield can be seen delivering with his right leg to Miller’s torso, according to department sources.

Investigators have spent the last two weeks breaking down the videotapes into individual frames as well as trying to enhance the quality of the images.

LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Berkow said Wednesday that investigators were looking at all aspects of the tape, not simply the flashlight blows.

But he declined to elaborate about whether the kneeings by Bueno and Hatfield were considered violations of LAPD policy.

Sources close to the investigation said it was possible that Bueno’s action could ultimately be found to be within policy, if Miller was resisting at the time. The knee blow is permitted under police rules as a “distraction strike” to subdue an unruly suspect.

With the seven officers pinning Miller down, he appears to offer little resistance. But camera angles make it difficult to see his precise movements.

LAPD Chief William J. Bratton has described the police officers’ tactics as “a mess” and cited several areas in which he believes they made errors. He has also suggested that the LAPD should tighten its policy on the use of flashlights.

Bratton spokeswoman Mary Grady said one of the subjects the chief would address at a series of beating-related community forums today was the scope of the inquiry.

“Beyond the initial use of force involving the flashlight, there are other uses of force that are being investigated,” she said. “All aspects are going to be investigated.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss, who has questioned the LAPD about not immediately separating the officers after the beating to avoid any suggestion of collusion, said the kneeing by Bueno merited scrutiny.

“The chief has promised to leave no stone unturned in this investigation. And without prejudging the grainy image on the video, this certainly seems to be an additional relevant area of inquiry,” he said.

The videos show Miller, 36, jumping out of his car and sprinting beside Compton Creek, a concrete wash, before officers catch him. Officer Phillip Watson is seen pulling out his gun and then re-holstering it before tackling Miller. Officer David Hale then jumps on the suspect, who has his hands raised. At that point, Hatfield runs into the frame, kicking at Miller before hitting him with a flashlight as the suspect lies on the ground.

Sources said Hatfield told investigators he hit Miller after another officer yelled that the suspect had a gun. No gun was found on Miller, but officers at the scene have said they recovered a pair of wire cutters from his pants.

Hatfield has been assigned to home pending the outcome of investigations by the department’s Professional Standards Bureau and the inspector general’s office, the investigative arm of the Police Commission.

The other officers have been reassigned to office work outside the Southeast Division, where they are based.

Bratton said four of the officers who were not directly involved in the beating could return to patrol duties within weeks.