Community Leaders Call For Attorney General's Investigation Into CHP Beating Video
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Community leaders held a news conference Thursday calling for Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct an immediate investigation into the video released that shows a California Highway Patrol officer beating a woman.
"We are not satisfied, nor will we accept an investigation of this case by the CHP," community activist Danny Bakewell said. "We have asked Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Congresswoman Karen Bass to petition the Attorney General of the United States to launch an investigation into the conduct of this officer and the CHP in general."
The CHP commissioner met with civil-rights activists Tuesday about the video, which shows an officer repeatedly hitting the woman, identified by her family as Marlene Pinnock, after she reportedly walked into traffic on the 10 Freeway near the La Brea Avenue on-ramp on July 1.
"This is our sister, this is our children. This time it's a black woman, last week was a black man. Last week it was our son, and we want to make sure next week it's not us," Bakewell said.
The officer, who has not been identified, said he was trying to subdue the woman to keep her from walking into traffic. According to the arrest report, Pinnock became "physically combative" during the altercation.
Although the CHP has confirmed the officer was taken off patrol, civil rights activists want him to be terminated and to face criminal charges.
"We don't know the name of the officer, we don't know the whereabouts of the officer. He's been taken completely out of circulation and that is not right," he added.
Pinnock remains at Martin Luther King Hospital and is scheduled to undergo a CT scan sometime Thursday.
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