The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating 56 allegations of misconduct during protests against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Of the 56 investigations, 28 involve alleged uses of force, the LAPD said Wednesday in a statement. Seven officers have been taken out of the field.
The agency has tasked 40 investigators with looking into allegations of misconduct and excessive force, as well as violations of departmental policy, during the protests.
While most protests have been peaceful, there were violent clashes with police, and businesses were vandalized.
Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground. His death prompted protests across the U.S. and around the world against police brutality and racial injustice.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said some of the tactics used by LAPD officers have “no place in the City of Angels,” though he has also defended the department.
Two L.A. City Council members, David Ryu and Curren Price, are pushing for a review and explanation of tactics LAPD used to quell a demonstration in the Fairfax district on May 30, including the use of rubber bullets and what appeared to be tear gas.
“Los Angeles deserves a full account of what happened that night,” Ryu said in a written statement. “I have seen videos of protesters beaten by police officers while looting and vandalism went unchecked. I don’t think this reflects the best of our police department, and I want answers, accountability, and change with how LAPD responds to peaceful protests.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that a group of criminal justice activists and homeless advocates filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that police shot a homeless man in the eye with rubber bullets and detained people for more than 12 hours on curfew violations.
“We support the department’s effort to thoroughly and fairly investigate citizen complaints to determine the facts,” the board of directors for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers, said in a statement. “Once the facts are determined, it’s our expectation that the department will either exonerate officers or take appropriate action.”
