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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - An unnamed Los Angeles police officer has been suspended and sent home after video captured him hitting a suspect who was already in custody, the department announced today.
The officer is accused of hitting one of two suspects after a Saturday carjacking in the Mission area of the San Fernando Valley that ended with a crash in the city of San Fernando, the LAPD reported.
The suspect is believed to have spit on the officer.
Video taken by a community member shows the offending officer hitting a suspect strapped into a gurney for medical transport.
After the assault, officers can be heard asking for a spit mask to prevent the suspect from spitting again, CBS2 reported. The officer has been sent home and is still being paid pending the outcome of the investigation. He has also had his police powers suspended.
“The images of the video are deeply disturbing and while we must wait for the investigation to be completed, the department will act swiftly in any instance of excessive or unnecessary force,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore said.