LA Police Captain Loses His Command Over Body Slammed Nurse
Published at
Siri Stafford(LOS ANGELES) — A Los Angeles Police Department captain has been removed from his command for his handling of an incident in which two of his officers were caught on surveillance tape slamming a handcuffed nurse to the pavement and then apparently fist bumping each other.
Michelle Jordan, 34, from Sunland, Calif., was allegedly pulled over for a cellphone violation on Aug. 21. A security camera at a Del Taco restaurant shows one of the officers shoving the woman to the ground. Once she is standing again, she is handcuffed and an officer body slams her to the ground and lands on top of her.
The two officers, who have not been identified, appear to give each other fist bumps after putting the woman in a patrol car.
LAPD Police Chief Charlie Beck said in a statement Wednesday he has removed Captain Joseph Hiltner from his command. The officers involved in the incident have also been removed from field duties while the Internal Affairs Group conducts a criminal and administrative investigation.
Beck said, “I have serious concerns about this incident and I believe the commanding officer of Foothill Area was severely deficient in his response… Proper steps were not taken, including appropriate notifications and the removal of the involved officers from the field.”
Hiltner could not be reached for comment.
Attorney S.J. Nazif, who will represent Jordan along with his partner Arthur Corona, told ABC News his team is pleased Beck is taking these steps. However, Nazif said, it is not enough.
“It falls short of a resolution for our client, who has suffered physically and emotionally at the hands of these officers, and it falls short of providing a resolution of this problem that still plagues the LAPD,” Nazif said.
Physicians are examining Jordan’s injuries, which ABC News affiliate KABC-TV reports include contusions to her face and body, according to police reports.
Beck has ordered the video of the incident to be played at all roll calls and said commanding officers will attend roll calls and discuss the use of force issues throughout the department.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio