April 20--A Los Angeles Police Department officer has been charged in connection with a videotaped incident in which a man alleged he was beaten and kicked while being held down by other officers in South L.A., authorities said Monday.
Officer Richard Garcia was charged with one count of assault under the color of authority in connection with the Oct. 16, 2014, arrest of Clinton Alford Jr., said Deputy Dist. Atty. Oscar Plascencia.
Several police officials who saw footage of the alleged assault captured by a private security camera previously told The Times that an officer kicked the man's head, with one source saying the move resembled "a football player kicking a field goal." Another source who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because the probe was ongoing said that an analysis of the video showed that Alford's shoulder was kicked during the incident, not his head.
Alford has filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against the officers involved, alleging he was not resisting at the time he was struck. The 22-year-old was initially arrested on suspicion of drug possession and resisting arrest, but prosecutors later declined to pursue the charges.
Garcia, 34, pleaded not guilty to the charge in a downtown L.A. courtroom on Monday afternoon. If convicted, prosecutors said, he faces up to three years in County Jail.
Alford had surrendered to police, but Garcia "allegedly went on to assault the man while he was laying prone on the ground," according to a statement from the district attorney's office.
Garcia has been placed on administrative leave, prosecutors said. The incident remains under investigation.
Garcia's attorney, Robert Rico, declined to comment on the charge against his client. Rico said he had not seen the video of the incident, though he said his client has.
Superior Court Judge Sergio Tapia II rejected Rico's request to release Garcia on his own recognizance. The judge set the officer's bail at $35,000, and Garcia was allowed to remain in the courtroom until the bail was posted.
Garcia is expected to appear in court next on June 1.
In an earlier interview with The Times, Alford said he was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk along Avalon Boulevard near 55th Street that October afternoon when a car pulled up. A man shouted a command to stop but Alford said he continued pedaling because the man hadn't identified himself as a police officer.
When someone grabbed the back of the bike, Alford said he jumped off and ran.
After a short foot pursuit, two officers caught up to Alford, he said. Another officer arrived and began beating the 22-year-old, who said he was lying on the ground handcuffed.
In the federal lawsuit, Alford alleged he was stunned with an electronic Taser weapon, "then beaten and repeatedly kicked." He was kicked so hard, the lawsuit alleges, that he was knocked unconscious.
The officials who saw the video told The Times that Alford had surrendered and was not resisting the officers.
After the incident, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said in a statement that he was "extremely concerned about this particular use of force."
Times staff writer Joel Rubin contributed to this report.
UPDATE
3:34 p.m.: This post has been updated to include the officer's not guilty plea and other details.
2:40 p.m.: This post has been updated to include a comment from the officer's lawyer.
This post was originally published at 2:32 p.m.
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