• NO Officers have been Disciplined in Brutal Miller Beating

The Los Angeles Police Department agreed Tuesday to develop a policy for how and when officers can use flashlights to defend themselves, nearly three months after an officer was captured on videotape using a 2-pound metal flashlight to beat a car-theft suspect. In response to the Stanley Miller beating, LAPD Chief William Bratton said last month the LAPD would design a small-sized flashlight that would essentially eliminate the possibility that it could be used as a weapon. Many officers carry metal flashlights similar to the one used in the Miller beating. At a meeting of the city's Police Commission, members said the LAPD had no clear guidelines for the use of flashlights when officers struggle with suspects. The department said it would review the issue. "We're exploring the options for the flashlight," Bratton said after the hearing. "We're going to a smaller flashlight, that's clear. ...There will be policies appropriate to that flashlight as to how it can be used, when it can be used, for what purposes." [more ]