Five LAPD Officers Under Investigation in Death of Woman

The South L.A. altercation, in which an officer stomped on the woman, was captured on a patrol car's video camera.
By Joel Rubin, Angel Jennings and Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times
Aug. 31, 2012

At least five Los Angeles police officers are under investigation in the death of a woman who stopped breathing during a struggle that included an officer stomping on her genital area and the use of additional force by others to take her into custody, police officials confirmed Thursday.

The altercation in front of her South Los Angeles apartment was captured by a patrol car's video camera.

When asked by The Times about the incident, LAPD Cmdr. Bob Green confirmed that one officer, while trying to get Alesia Thomas into the back of a patrol car, threatened to kick Thomas in the genitals if she did not comply, and then followed through on her threat.

After officers forced Thomas into the back seat of the police car, she is seen on the video breathing shallowly; she eventually stopped breathing.

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