LAPD Officer Arrested

[951-Riverside]

Direct from the LAPD's own Blog:

Los Angeles: Today, Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton announced that investigators with the Department's Professional Standards Bureau arrested a 13-year veteran officer early this morning for violating Penal Code Section 149, Assault Under the Color of Authority.

Forty-one-year-old Sean Joseph Meade was arrested at his home around 7:00 A.M. this morning after a non-stop investigation, which began around 2:00 A.M. Tuesday, December 5, 2006.

At approximately 1:25 A.M. on December 5, 2006, Officer Meade and his partner were handling booking procedures for the arrest of a 16-year-old Hispanic male, who had been detained in Chinatown on a curfew violation. The detainee had been taken to the Central Area Police Station.

After hearing a disturbance between Meade and the arrestee in a juvenile holding room, a third officer alerted the station watch commander who immediately initiated a personnel complaint investigation. The watch commander directed Scientific Investigation Division to take photographs of the holding room, the officer, and the detainee. The 16-year-old was examined at a local hospital, but he had no apparent injuries. He remains in custody at juvenile hall as police have not been able to locate his parents or a responsible guardian.

http://lapdblog.typepad.com/lapd_blog/2006/12/lapd_officer_ar.html

[sui generis]

1. sadly for Meade's supportive friend

there was a presumption of innocence until two separate viewings of the tape, after which he was not just relieved of duty and equipment but later had an arrest warrant issued.

I'm all about presumption of innocence but a camera is a camera and cameras don't have agendas.

[Richard Steele]

7. Interesting to note just WHY that camera was there.

They don't have cameras to monitor the cops interacting
with arrestees in their interrigation rooms; this one
had been set up catch the cops who had been vandalizing
chairs in their briefing room. It was just an accident
that it caught some of this incident on tape!

They got some really "INTERESTING" priorities at that
police station, don't they?

[Clark2008]

13. I'm guessing that, on average, vandalism occurs much more

frequently than officer-related assault - so that's why that was a priority.

[jilln]

2. curfew violation?

LA has a curfew? And violating it is an arrestable offense?

[kestrel91316]

3. Apparently we do, for juveniles. And it's a GOOD THING. Minors

should not be out without an adult in the wee hours of the morning, IMHO, particularly in this rather rough city.

What's interesting is, the news this AM reported the kid was out with a minor girl. She was taken home to her parents without arrest. The boy was arrested. The boy is Hispanic. I wonder if the girl was WHITE. This sort of thing would be about par for the course for LAPD.

[independentpiney]

4. Or it may be he had a curfew because he's on probation or parole

[Johnyawl]

5. The girl was taken home and released to her parents, the boy...

"...remains in custody at juvenile hall as police have not been able to locate his parents or a responsible guardian."

A minor must be turned over to a responsible adult in this situation.

[951-Riverside]

6. ...They could release him to child protective services if they wanted to n/t

[kestrel91316]

8. He needs to be in temp foster care, NOT juvie hall.

Especially since he is the VICTIM here, of a vicious assault.

[Johnyawl]

12. A judge has to make the decision as to what to do with him...

...not the LAPD. LAPD responsibility is to hold this minor until either his parent/guardian, or the juvenile court, takes custody of him. I don't know how back logged the LA courts are, but the kid could be held for a couple of days before seeing a judge. Anybody who has had experience with the the justice system and CPS understands the glacial pace the bueacracy can move at.

You're right, the kid IS the victim here, and hopefully the publicity surrounding the case will speed the resolution.

[sui generis]

9. so do the parents get the ticket on curfew violation?

it would seem like that should be the case.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. It is not LA

California HAS a curfew, and there are excpetions

For example if the kid had been on his way to work or back from work, he is free and clear

The same applies if they are on their way, or back from, a political demonstration

[jilln]

11. I don't like that one bit.

What time is the curfew?

[shanti]

15. it's 10 pm

in sacramento, but it's regularly dismissed by lots of kids. (mom of teen speaking here)

[TahitiNut]

14. I believe curfews are a matter of municipal codes - and are quite common.

http://mayors.org/uscm/news/publications/curfew.htm