June 26, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

LAPD Officer Caught on Tape Avoids Jail

A Los Angeles police officer who kicked and punched a man during a videotaped arrest avoided jail Tuesday after he was found to have completed the requirements of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Richard Garcia, 36, was sentenced to a two-year probationary term upon pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of assault by an officer in connection with the October 2014 encounter with Clinton Alford Jr., according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Garcia initially pleaded no contest to a felony count. But according to his plea deal, he was allowed to withdraw the plea and enter a no-contest plea to the reduced count after a judge determined he had completed community service, followed the law, avoided contact with Alford and donated $500 to charity.

Alford’s arrest in South Los Angeles was captured by a security camera on a nearby factory building. While the LAPD usually does not make such recordings public outside of court, the Los Angeles Times obtained and published video footage of the arrest, which had been introduced as evidence in the criminal case against Garcia, under an order from a judge last year.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and the Board of Police Commissioners both criticized the arrest of the then-22-year-old man near 55th Street and South Avalon Boulevard.

Beck told reporters in 2015 that he was “shocked by the content of the video,” and encouraged the D.A.’s office to press criminal charges against Garcia.

Officers contend they arrested Alford because he matched the description of a robbery suspect. After running from police, Alford surrendered but Garcia kicked and struck the suspect.

Alford’s attorney, Caree Harper, called the sentence a mere “a slap on the wrist,” and part of a “long-troubling pattern” of District Attorney Jackie Lacey’s “failure to properly prosecute” officers accused of excessive force.

Harper said police excessive force cases “need to removed” from Lacey’s authority “and placed in the hands of an independent prosecutor who does not have to seek re-election.”

Garcia would have faced up to three years in jail had he been convicted of the felony assault charge.

The officer is still employed by the LAPD, though he has remained at home, away from work, pending a disciplinary hearing, according to the Times. Beck said Tuesday that Garcia was no longer being paid by the LAPD, and the chief noted that the forthcoming disciplinary hearing could result in the officer’s firing, according to the newspaper.

Meanwhile, the city of Los Angeles may be close to settling a 2014 federal lawsuit brought by Alford for alleged civil rights violations.

Documents show the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee was scheduled to discuss Alford’s federal lawsuit against the LAPD in a closed session with legal counsel on Monday. That’s often a sign that the city is close to reaching a settlement, although the city attorney’s office will not comment on the details of closed sessions. According to federal court records, the lawsuit has settled.

Related Posts

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Brentwood Weekend Specials: $9 Wine & Street Tacos, Blush-Inspired Lattes & Beauty Swag

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Street Tacos and Wine Meets Self-Care in Brentwood and Santa Monica Brentwood Fine Wines will welcome back local culinary favorite...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

(Video) Food Fight: Chefs Join Forces to Raise Money to Protect Immigrant Families in Venice

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Estrano, Little Dynamite, Sunday Gravy, Kabob Senpai Answer the Call From Turk’s Pizza Party. Dave Turkel Put This Food Resistance...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...

LAPD Sergeant Killed Assisting Crash Victims on 405 Freeway in Brentwood

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Tragic Early-Morning Collision Claims Two Lives, Including Veteran Sergeant Two people, including an LAPD sergeant, were killed early Monday in...

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...

Paris Hilton Buys Mark Wahlberg’s Beverly Park Mansion for $63.1M

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

The Heiress and Media Mogul Joins a Star-Studded Neighborhood Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum have purchased a high-profile estate...