Expert: LAPD Officers' Behavior Not Unreasonable

Nov. 11, 2006 — -- A disturbing video is sparking new allegations of police brutality.

A videotape posted on the Web site Youtube.com shows Los Angeles police officers hitting 24-year-old William Cardenas during an arrest.

At one point in the video an officer is seen sitting on Cardenas as a second officer places his knee on the man's neck and punches him six times.

Cardenas is lying on his back, waving his arms and yelling, "I can't breathe!"

The FBI and the LAPD are investigating the two officers suspected of using excessive force against a suspect. But Rod Wheeler, a crime-fighting expert and former homicide investigator, says it looks to him like police exerted reasonable force during the arrest.

"I've been in this situation before. The first thing you want to do is subdue the suspect. You talk to the suspect and tell them to cooperate," Wheeler said. "Remember, what we see on the YouTube video is a very small part of what happened. You don't see what leads to the arrest."

Wheeler said that the YouTube video only shows one side of the story.

"What you don't see is the pressure he's exerting on the officers," Wheeler said. "And they only begin hitting him in the face when he starts trying to raise his arms. They were also trying to get handcuffs on him, which is very difficult to do when someone does not want to be handcuffed."

Wheeler said that Cardenas' cry that he couldn't breathe could have been a tactic to resist arrest.

"Suspects say it all the time because they want you to release your hold on them. They can grab your weapon and do anything," he said. "You never see him actually going limp or surrendering."

According to Wheeler, force becomes excessive when its exerted after the suspect is under control.

"The law clearly states that officers of the law can use enough force necessary to subdue and affect an arrest," he said. "The officer crosses the line when he's in control and he continues to exert force -- that's when it becomes excessive."