LAPD faces legal claim after officer punches man under arrest during traffic stop

Attorneys representing a South Los Angeles man filed a claim against the Los Angeles Police Department on Friday, a few weeks after a video showed an officer punching their client while he was being handcuffed.

The arrest happened on July 28 when Alexander Donta Mitchell waited for a friend near East 113th Street and Graham Avenue. The department said he was double-parked and facing the wrong direction when officers approached him. An LAPD official said during a Police Commission meeting in July that Mitchell initially refused to get out of the car. 

Mitchell's attorney, Brad Gage, said his client complied with orders and asked officers why they opened his door before ordering him to leave his seat. 

The now-viral video recorded the officer's next actions. It shows the officer punching Mitchell in the face while he's being detained and in handcuffs. Neighbors said the man collapsed moments after the punch. Video from the incident also shows him taken away in an ambulance. 

The LAPD said he resisted arrest by refusing to place his hands behind his back and grasping his front waistband and pocket area with his right hand.

"An officer then struck Mitchell on the right side of his face, enabling the officers to complete the handcuffing," the agency said in a statement.

The department said they are investigating the incident. The officer was "removed from field duties," which indicates he was not suspended or placed on leave but rather posted at a desk at the station.  

A claim is a precursor to a lawsuit, which gives the city 45 days to review before attorneys can file the action.