Los Angeles police officer brutally punches handcuffed man in the face

A Los Angeles Police Department officer was temporarily relieved of his field duties after video showed him punching a 30-year-old man in the face while he was being arrested, who appeared to be handcuffed and did not resist.

The July 28 incident occurred during a traffic stop on East 113th Street near Graham Avenue in Watts.

A cellphone video shows the man – identified by community activists as Alexander Donta Mitchell – screaming “What have I done?” as he is arrested and one of the police officers violently hits him on the right side of his face.

“This young man had his hands tied behind his back,” civil rights activist Najee Ali told KTLA. “He was not a threat, but we saw a police officer punch him in the face for no reason.”

Ali, of the Islamic Hope Project, said the incident was just the latest example of excessive use of force by police in the black community.

“Not only does this officer deserve to be put on leave, he deserves to have his badge and handcuffs removed,” he added.

It is not clear from the recording what happened before the punch or whether Mitchell’s hands were fully handcuffed. However, in the video it appears as though he did not resist the police officers at all.

A witness to the violence, who describes herself as a friend of the Mitchell family and wishes to remain anonymous on camera, said she had never seen anything like it before.

“They just opened the door and took him out,” she explained. “There was no reason. He was just sitting in the car.”

Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department told KTLA they are investigating the case and said in a statement:

“The incident is under investigation and the officer involved has been relieved of his field duties.”

Ali, in turn, says that there is no justification for the police officer’s actions.

“The video speaks for itself,” he said.

A press conference with Mitchell’s family and civil rights leaders is scheduled for Tuesday morning outside LAPD headquarters.