Watch: LA police officer punches apparently handcuffed man in face

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) - An officer with the Los Angeles Police Department has been temporarily relieved of field duties after video captured him punching a 30-year-old man, who appears to be handcuffed and not resisting, in the face as he was being detained.  

The July 28 incident occurred during what’s described as a traffic stop in Watts.  

Cellphone video of the incident shows the man, identified by community activists as Alexander Donta Mitchell, yelling, “What did I do?” as he was being detained when one of the officers punches him hard on the right side of his face.  

“This young man had his hands behind his back, handcuffed,” Civil Rights Activist Najee Ali told Nexstar's KTLA. “He was not a threat, but we saw an officer punch him in the face for no reason.” 

Ali, with Project Islamic Hope, said the incident is just the latest example of excessive force by police in the Black community.  

“That officer not only deserves to be on leave, he deserves to have his badge taken from him, handcuffs taken from him,” he added.  

It’s unclear what happened prior to the recording of the punch or if Mitchell’s hands were both fully restrained, though in the video, he does not appear to be resisting the officers at all.  

A witness to the violence, who describes herself as a family friend of Mitchell’s and did not want to be identified on camera, said she’d never seen anything like that before.  

“They just opened the door and snatched him out,” she explained. “There wasn’t no reason. He was just sitting in the car.”  

Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department told KTLA that they’re looking into the matter, saying in a statement: 

“The incident is under investigation and the officer involved has been removed from field duties.”  

As for Ali, he says that nothing can justify the police officer’s actions.  

“The video speaks for itself,” he said.