One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Woman Dies in LAPD Custody Following Questionable Struggle
The Los Angeles Police Department have revealed they are investigating the death of a 35-year-old woman who stopped breathing after a struggle with officers during her arrest.
Alesia Thomas was put under arrest in the early morning hours of July 22 when officers went to her residence after her two children turned up abandoned at the local police station. The LAPD say they interviewed Thomas, then arrested her for child endangerment, however Thomas was "resistant."
However, the struggle between Thomas and the officers was perhaps more brutal than the narrative of the LAPD news release suggests; the Los Angeles Times reports that "LAPD Cmdr. Bob Green confirmed that one [female] 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."
The LAPD describes the scene:
As the officers were taking Thomas into custody she began actively resisting arrest, attempting to pull away from the officers. One officer preformed a leg sweep and took Thomas to the ground to gain control of her. Two other officers then handcuffed Thomas behind her back. After the arrival of a police sergeant from Southeast Division the officers walked Thomas to their police vehicle. Thomas continued to struggle with the officers and another unit was requested for assistance.
To get Thomas in the car, the LAPD used a "hobble restraint" device on her ankles, and sat her down in the back of the vehicle. In total, five officers were employed to restrain Thomas.
Minutes later, officers noticed Thomas was not breathing.
Sponsored message
Thomas was transported to an area hospital, but died soon after. Her manner of death has been described as "suffocation."
The confrontation between Thomas and the officers outside her South Los Angeles apartment was caught on tape via the patrol car's camera.
In addition to the LAPD release not mentioning the possible "stomping" of Thomas in the genital area by a female officer, one neighbor who saw the arrest told the L.A. Times "he did not see officers do anything wrong and described Thomas as the aggressor."
Thomas' death and the "use of force" investigation have come to light on the heels of the revelation a woman pulled over for a traffic stop in the Foothill Division is alleging officers roughed her up while detaining her. That incident was also captured on video, which shows officers taking the woman down to the ground twice, and giving each other a fist bump after securing her in the back of the car.
Of the Thomas case, Chief Charlie Beck says:
“I take all in-custody death investigations very seriously and directed that the officers involved be removed from field duties until further details are known, including what part intoxicants and physical conditions contributed. I’m confident we will get to the truth, no matter where that leads us.”
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
