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Before the LAPD video hit YouTube
The LAPD has released the timeline of the events that led up to October 18, when the video in question, showing two officers appearing to use excessive force on a suspect they were trying to arrest, was posted on YouTube.
August 11, 2006
• Officers Farrell and Schlegel arrested William Cardenas on a felony warrant for receiving stolen property (a stolen gun). The officers reported force used in the arrest report.
• Officers’ supervisors conducted administrative investigation into use of force, including interviewing witnesses to the arrest.
August 31, 2006
• Captain at Hollywood Police Station conducted preliminary review of the use-of-force investigation and reclassified it as a level one, which means the sergeants have to re-interview witnesses on tape.
September 12, 2006
• Cardenas' preliminary hearing was held at LA Superior Court, Department 35. Cardenas' attorney provided prosecutors a disc of a video of the arrest. The hearing was continued to September 14, as no one had the capability to review the disc.
• Prosecutors gave disc to detective assigned to the Cardenas arrest, and asked him to have the disc converted at LAPD's Scientific Investigation Division.
September 14, 2006
• Hearing resumed in Department 35. The video of arrest was played for Officer Schlegel, who testified to the arrest. The court held Cardenas over for trial, set for November 20, 2006.
• The assigned LAPD detective was not in the courtroom. When he later learned of the court's decision, he placed the video copy into the case file for trial.
October 17, 2006
• Los Angeles County district attorneys assigned to the Justice System Integrity Division (JSID) contacted LAPD's Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) and notified them of the video clip, which consisted of three segments. Two depict points after the arrest and no force. A third is 21 seconds long and shows Cardenas resisting the officers.
• PSB investigators picked up the video on the same day and opened a complaint investigation.
• PSB formed a task force of investigators.
• Officers Farrell and Schlegel were assigned to administrative duties at Hollywood Police Station, pending the investigation.
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October 18, 2006
• The Police Commission's Inspector General and Chief Bratton were notified of the investigation.
• Clips of the arrest video appeared on the internet.
Previously in LAist:
• The LAPD Video & How the Press Reacts
• LAPD's Punch & Judy Show
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