LAPD Chief Moore Says Officers Will Be Held Accountable For Use Of Excessive, Unnecessary Force Against Protesters
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — As protesters spent another night demanding justice for police brutality outside City Hall, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore promised to hold officers accountable for the use of excessive or unnecessary force against demonstrators.
"Police abuse of innocent protesters will not be allowed on his watch," Najee Ali, founder of Project Islamic Hope, said.
The message came after a Tuesday night meeting between community activists and Moore where it was announced that LAPD has assigned 40 full-time investigators to look into every complaint made against an officer in connection with ongoing protests.
"Any officer that was found culpable of abuse of innocent protesters will be held accountable, and that ranges from termination to suspension to maybe a possible prosecution," Ali said.
Just last week, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and homeless activists sued LAPD and the chief claiming that officers used excessive force on peaceful protesters and detained them in violation of their civil rights.
Earlier in the day, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors heard public comment, but did not vote, on police reform tactics that would apply not only to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, but 46 other police departments that operate throughout the county.
Community leaders who met with Moore Tuesday said they planned to meet with Sheriff Alex Villanueva on Wednesday to talk about police reform and also call attention to a situation in which deputies beat a man in Compton last week.
