The inspector general of the Los Angeles Police
Department vowed Saturday that a thorough investigation will soon be
completed of the televised beating of an alleged car thief by officers.
"We have a staff of 28 and we're working diligently on it and I'm
confident that we'll be able to produce the insight and analysis that
the public wants," said Andre Birotte Jr., the LAPD's inspector
general. Birotte was speaking to a crowd of about 30 at the weekly Los
Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable in Leimert Park. He is charged with
determining whether Officer John J. Hatfield was justified when he
repeatedly hit Stanley Miller with a flashlight in Compton on June 23
following a police pursuit. Birotte declined to offer details of his
findings. Some in the audience didn't see much reason to further
investigate the incident since it was captured on videotape. Others
wondered aloud why an officer would act so brazenly when there were
clearly members of the press watching. [more]
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