by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright May 3, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

A's peaceful immigration rights rally turned ugly when truncheon-wielding police beat and opened fire with riot-control rubber bullets on the press and peaceful demonstrators in MacArthur Park. Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton expressed “grave concern” over his community-based police force that apparently overreacted to a few rock-and-plastic-bottle-throwing rabble-rousers. With his five-year contract up for renewal, Bratton walked a tightrope empathizing with the press and peaceful protestors, while, at the same time, reserving judgment on his department. Bratton took the baton from former Police Chief and now City Councilman Bernard Parts in 2002, enjoying the support of popular LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, currently on a goodwill mission to El Salvador. Ten people—including seven reporters—were left with minor injuries from police aggression.

      Bratton called some of the officers' actions “inappropriate,” especially beating reporters with nightsticks. “The treatment you received yesterday form some Los Angeles police officers . . . we can't tolerate and won't tolerate,” acknowledging, after reviewing the melee caught on videotape, that the contingent of riot-control officers acted inappropriately. Confusion broke out when someone gave the order to clear the assembly at 6:15 pm when demonstrators had a lawful permit to 9:00 pm. Instead of arresting a few rock-and-bottle throwing troublemakers, riot police moved against peaceful demonstrators, wielding batons and firing 240 rounds of non-lethal synthetic bullets into the crowd at 7th and Alvarado, about one mile west of downtown Los Angeles. Despite the aggressive tactics, no arrests were made, suggesting the police moved against the wrong crowd.

      Now one knows yet which commander, if any, gave the crowd dispersal order. Bratton couldn't tell whether the order was given from a hovering helicopter or a bullhorn on the ground. Incident commander Chief Calor “Lee” Carter, who was on the scene during the incident, apparently did not give the crowd dispersal order. “Some of the images are very troubling,” said LAPD Inspector General Andre Birotte, promising an investigation into who gave the order and why less-than-lethal force was used on the press and marchers. Los Angeles Police Protective League president Bob Baker defended officers' actions, calling it a response to violence. “Our officers gave a legal dispersal order and were met with violence . . .” failing to explain why officers attacked the press and peaceful marchers. Police formed a “V” and swept through the crowd of the media and demonstrators.

      Videotape from Fox and Telemundo showed police grabbing Fox reporter Christina Gonzalez, clearly identified as the press with her camerawoman. “I am helping her move, sir,” said a clearly upset Gonzalez. Goznalez was then spun around by her shoulders by an LAPD officer. “You can't do that,” said Gonzalez. As Telemundo anchor Pedro Sevec began his 6:30 pm broadcast, he watched a confrontation with police and agitators. “The next thing I heard was the shotguns, and they were firing in our direction,” said Sevec, shocked when an officer threw his camera 15 to 20 ft. and began hitting reporters and cameramen with batons. LAPD still operates under a federal consent decree from the notorious Rampart's scandal, requiring a top-to-bottom overhaul of police procedures and tactics. When Bratton came to the LAPD in 2002, he promised to change an overly aggressive culture.

      Bratton has a tall order working with three separate investigations, including LAPD's Internal Affairs, the independent Inspector General and the Police commission. There's no excuse for trained riot police going ballistic, attacking peaceful demonstrators and the press. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), in whose district the police misconduct took place, asked Los Angeles District Atty. Steve Cooley to investigate the LAPD's possible criminal conduct. While it's premature to jump the gun, Cooley must determine whether the LAPD broke laws governing police conduct. Police Protective League President Bob Baker believes the police acted in self-defense after getting pelted with rocks and crowd debris. With the federal consent decree still in force, Bratton has no choice but to take the allegations seriously and dsicipline and prosecute rogue officers.

      LAPD hasn't come far enough or fast enough from the days when rogue officers gang-tackled and beat Rodney King March 3, 1991 into submission. Police brutality acquittals in Simi Valley April 29, 1992, sparked the most deadly violence since the 1965 Watts riots. “This has echoes of the DNC,” said Los Angeles civil rights attorney Constance Rice, who's served on boards and commissions monitoring the LAPD's compliance with the federal consent decree. Back in 2000, the LAPD clashed with reporters covering heated protests at the Democratic National Convention, eventually settling a lawsuit over its crowd management, permitting the press to cover even unlawful assemblies. “It suggests the old LAPD overreaction to things,” concerned that inadequate reforms leave the LAPD vulnerable to erratic episodes. Bratton must do more than pay lip-service to recent events.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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