- NO Officers have been Disciplined in Brutal Miller Beating
The Los Angeles Police Department agreed Tuesday to
develop a policy for how and when officers can use flashlights to
defend themselves, nearly three months after an officer was captured on
videotape using a 2-pound metal flashlight to beat a car-theft suspect.
In response to the Stanley Miller beating, LAPD Chief William Bratton
said last month the LAPD would design a small-sized flashlight that
would essentially eliminate the possibility that it could be used as a
weapon. Many officers carry metal flashlights similar to the one used
in the Miller beating. At a meeting of the city's Police Commission,
members said the LAPD had no clear guidelines for the use of
flashlights when officers struggle with suspects. The department said
it would review the issue. "We're exploring the options for the
flashlight," Bratton said after the hearing. "We're going to a smaller
flashlight, that's clear. ...There will be policies appropriate to that
flashlight as to how it can be used, when it can be used, for what
purposes." [more 
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