New video shows a Los Angeles police officer kicking a black man in the head as he is held facedown in the middle of a street by two other officers.
The footage of the 2014 incident, obtained by the Los Angeles Times through a court order, shows LAPD Officer Richard Garcia not only delivering the kick, but also throwing several elbows and punches at the man’s head.
The roughly three-minute video also showed Garcia pressing his knee into the man’s back for more than two minutes, before other officers help pick up the handcuffed man and drag him toward a patrol car.
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According to the Times, Clinton Alford Jr., then 22, was riding a bike along Avalon Boulevard near 55th Street in South L.A. when officers pulled up to him and ordered him to stop.
Alford, who later claimed that the officers did not identify themselves as law enforcement, jumped off his bike and began running.
Two officers ran after him and were able to tackle him to the ground.
Video of Clinton Alford Jr.’s arrest was never made public despite the video being used as evidence that led to assault charges again Garcia. In May, prosecutors agreed to plea deal that would keep the officer out of jail.
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Garcia, 35, defended his actions claiming he kicked Alford in the shoulder and used further force to help control a suspect who appeared to be resisting police, the Times reported.
But the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said officers were not threatened in “any way.”
“From the get-go, Mr. Alford — you can see in the video — does not threaten the officers in any way, shape or form,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Oscar Plascencia told the judge, according to the Times.
Video of Alford Jr.’s is reminiscent of other recorded encounters between African Americans and police across the country that have led to widespread criticism of policing across the U.S.
Alford’s family spoke during a press conference Monday following the release of the video.
“I just thank the good lord they didn’t kill my son,” said Alford’s mother, Valerie Washington, according to NBC news. “Just to see what happened to my son, my baby, good lord. I know we all have children, what if that was one of your children?”
Alford Jr., now 24, was arrested last year and faces charges including pimping, rape and assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Times. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody.
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