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Officer Suspected Gun in Los Angeles Beating

OS ANGELES, June 26 (AP) - A police officer caught on videotape using a flashlight to beat a man suspected of car theft said he delivered the blows because another officer had warned that the suspect was carrying a gun, The Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday.

The officer, John J. Hatfield, told investigators that another officer trying to handcuff the suspect, Stanley Miller, felt a metal object in Mr. Miller's pants, the newspaper said, citing anonymous sources.

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Officer Hatfield kicked and struck Mr. Miller 11 times with a metal flashlight. The object mistaken for a gun was later found to be wire cutters in Mr. Miller's pants pocket.

Officer Hatfield's account was corroborated by two other officers at the scene, The Times reported. Officers were also concerned that Mr. Miller might have been concealing a weapon in his left hand, but they later learned he was clenching money.

A defense lawyer said he was unsure whether Mr. Miller had wire cutters but that the beating was unjustified. Mr. Miller, 36, was suspected of having stolen a car on Wednesday before trying to evade the police in a chase. He remained in jail on a parole violation, said his lawyer, Mark Werksman.

"It's a Keystone Kops response to scream, 'gun,' and pound a guy 11 times with a flashlight when he's already pinned to the ground and then say, 'Oops, guess it was a pair of wire cutters,' " Mr. Mr. Werksman, said.

On Friday, prosecutors declined to file charges against Mr. Miller because there were questions about whether the arresting officers would be able to testify against the suspect. But prosecutors did not rule out possible charges in the future.

The treatment of Mr. Miller, who is black, has drawn comparisons with the beating of Rodney King in 1991 and sparked criticism by city leaders.

"I'm demanding an explanation," Mayor James K. Hahn said at a City Hall news conference on Friday. "It better be a good one. It looks to me that force was unwarranted."

Dozens of people voiced outrage over the incident at a rally on Friday in downtown Los Angeles. Many protesters carried flashlights like the one Officer Hatfield used to strike Mr. Miller.

Officer Hatfield, who is Hispanic, and two other officers involved in Mr. Miller's arrest will be investigated for excessive use of force. Eight officers have been placed on desk duty as an investigation of the incident is carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The police department is conducting an internal inquiry.

Mr. Werksman said Mr. Miller should be released so he could receive medical treatment for any injuries suffered in the beating.

The police previously characterized Mr. Miller's injuries as a "very minor abrasion" on his face. Sgt. Catherine Plows said that Mr. Miller had been given a complete medical examination after his arrest.

Mr. Miller was released from prison in February. He has a criminal record dating back to 1994 that includes car theft, forgery and attempting to escape, records show.

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