LAPD officer arrested for beating handcuffed teen

[error]

I'm frankly shocked that he was arrested and charged with anything. This is Los Angeles, after all, where the police are usually allowed to get away with pretty much whatever they want.

LA police: Veteran officer shown on videotape assaulting cuffed teen in police station

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A videotape shows an officer assaulting a handcuffed teenager inside a police station holding cell, but the images won't be made public, the police chief said.

Sean Joseph Meade, 41, was arrested Thursday for investigation of assault under color of authority. He was released on $10,000 bail, and a court appearance was scheduled for Monday.

Police Chief William J. Bratton said the confrontation was part of an internal investigation, so the videotape won't be released publicly.

The department is still wrestling with fallout from two recent and very public videotapes that appear to show officers using excessive force against suspects. Both of those were taken by amateurs on the streets.

Bratton said Meade assaulted the youth after he was arrested early Tuesday for a curfew violation. The teenager was in a juvenile holding cell with his hands cuffed behind his back and did not physically provoke the attack, the chief said.

Bratton declined to provide details of what happened in the cell, but said no weapon was involved. The officer was apparently not aware of the camera, which had been set up to identify a vandal who had been damaging nearby office chairs.

''My concern was that the officer was engaged in an assault, which I felt was inappropriate,'' Bratton said Thursday.

The teen was examined at a hospital but had no apparent injuries and remained at Juvenile Hall while police tried to locate his guardians, Bratton said.

Meade, a 13-year veteran of the force, was immediately suspended. It was unclear whether he had obtained legal counsel, which often is handled by the police union.

Los Angeles Police Protective League President Bob Baker said the union would be consulting with the officer, but wasn't yet able to evaluate the facts of the case.

[KBCraig]

If the teen had "no apparent injuries", what was the nature of the assault?

This might be one of those backlash cases, where someone doing something minor --if anything at all-- gets slammed for the sins of those who have gone unpunished before him.

If the officer assaulted the teen, then I want him slammed. This is awfully sparse of details, though.

Kevin

[Braddogg]

Kevin's got a good point.

[Fluff and Stuff]

If the teen had "no apparent injuries", what was the nature of the assault?
Kevin

Who knows.  Cops assault people everyday.  I certainly took it as an assault when I cop pulled me over, demanded to see my papers, lied to me, gave me unwanted advice, and took 10 min. of my day because of the color of my skin (pale) and my speed of travel (slow).  That time would have gone to much better use on my date.

Of course, my assault was not physical.  I would not be suprised if millions of such physical and non=physical assaults have taken place.  I will never forget when those cops trolled through Porcfest or when cops continuously trolled through a BBQ cook off I was at.  I've seen even worse, like when cops stand in a bar looking for people to arrest.

[Russell Kanning]

If the teen had "no apparent injuries", what was the nature of the assault?

Maybe it just hurt a little. How many injuries have to occur, before it is wrong to lock up a teen for the time of day?

When did L.A. start having curfews?

[KBCraig]

If the teen had "no apparent injuries", what was the nature of the assault?

Maybe it just hurt a little. How many injuries have to occur, before it is wrong to lock up a teen for the time of day?

It was wrong before --or whether-- there were any injuries. That's really a non-sequitur.

When did L.A. start having curfews?

It's all the rage. Many cities have had teen curfews for years. As a parent who knows where my kids are, it pisses me off that the city presumes to tell me when they have to be home.

[Pat McCotter]

Pittsfield, NH, has had a curfew since April 2005.

[David]

'bout time.  they got caught with their pants down(figuratively speaking...this time), so they had to make an example out of him to show the 'community' that they can police themselves.  They couldn't weasel out of it because: it was a kid, he was handcuffed, and it was caught on tape. 
Their weapons may be bigger, but ours are getting smaller(digital cameras).   

[Spencer]

The officer was apparently not aware of the camera, which had been set up to identify a vandal who had been damaging nearby office chairs.

This quote is my favorite part of the article.

So, assuming that this officer is not the one who has been vandalizing office chairs, then the bad acts of one officer have resulted in the unexpected benefit of catching a bully with a badge . . . Talk about karma in action.  The blue wall of silence hasn't worked out so well here.

[David]

The officer was apparently not aware of the camera, which had been set up to identify a vandal who had been damaging nearby office chairs.

This quote is my favorite part of the article.

So, assuming that this officer is not the one who has been vandalizing office chairs, then the bad acts of one officer have resulted in the unexpected benefit of catching a bully with a badge . . . Talk about karma in action.  The blue wall of silence hasn't worked out so well here.

That my friend, is called Irony, and I love it.  Bully with a badge sums him up.

[Michael Fisher]

Notice they make no mention of the crime of kidnapping this teen and locking him up in a tiny cell.

[TEBON]

reminds me of the guy who was handcuffed in the cell when they tazered the guy twice.  Killed him.  Tell me how a person within a police station, in a holding cell, and finally restrained by handcuffs can pose a threat that a police officer can't handle by using some force.  Instead, they tazer him. . . and when it didn't get him good enough the first time, they hit him again.

When are we going to stop allowing officers of the law to execute people who haven't been convicted of a crime yet.

[toowm]

The only network show we watch is Extreme Home Makeover. My daughter loves to see them change the lives of families in need.

The last episode was on married LAPD cops where the wife had been shot and was a paraplegic. While the family seemed alright, there were a lot of statements and images that made me uncomfortable, like the huge SWAT vehicle used in demolition and the "blue wall" gang mentality.

I just can't look at cops as the good guys.

[Braddogg]

reminds me of the guy who was handcuffed in the cell when they tazered the guy twice.  Killed him.  Tell me how a person within a police station, in a holding cell, and finally restrained by handcuffs can pose a threat that a police officer can't handle by using some force.

And how does the murder of someone in police custody remind you of this story, where there wasn't even a sign of abuse (aside from the abuse inherent in holding someone against their will)?

[TEBON]

disregard for the laws, by those who are supposed to enforce them.  Is that good enough?

if you'd like I'd get into the arrogance of those who have sworn to protect and serve, yet somehow protection and service are two words that portray what they do for themselves.