Lawyers for beaten teen announces suit against police; agencies investigating

<br>LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A black teenager who was slammed onto a car and punched by a white policeman during a videotaped arrest sued the city of Inglewood, four of its officers, Los Angeles County and three

Wednesday, July 10th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A black teenager who was slammed onto a car and punched by a white policeman during a videotaped arrest sued the city of Inglewood, four of its officers, Los Angeles County and three sheriff's deputies Wednesday.

The federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and alleges misconduct and violations of constitutional rights.

``We believe this is a seven-figure case,'' said his attorney John Sweeney.

The Inglewood Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said they had no comment.

Various law enforcement agencies have opened investigations into the arrest, and dozens of angry protesters descended on Inglewood City Hall on Tuesday, demanding an end to police brutality and the ouster of Officer Jeremy Morse.

Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn said the officer should be fired and charged with assault.

``I will not under any circumstances tolerate the type of conduct I observed in the videotape,'' Dorn said Tuesday. ``In my opinion the district attorney's office should act.''

Rep. Maxine Waters sent a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft demanding an investigation, and charged that the officer's treatment of the teenager was racially motivated.

Ashcroft said in a statement Wednesday that he was troubled by the tape. ``The events caught on videotape ... last weekend trouble me greatly, because they raise clear questions about whether that law enforcement mission was being served properly in Inglewood,'' Ashcroft said.

The FBI said it has opened a civil rights investigation. The Inglewood Police Department, the Los Angeles County sheriff and district attorney also are investigating.

Morse, a three-year veteran who was put on leave Monday with pay, could not be reached for comment. Calls to the president of the Inglewood Police Officers Association were not immediately returned.

The incident happened during a traffic stop Saturday afternoon near the Los Angeles airport.

A tourist's videotape showed Morse hoisting a handcuffed Jackson to his feet, slamming his body onto a car, then punching him in the face. Two other officers appear to intervene, with at least one trying to pull away the first officer's arm.

Police and sheriff's officials said the teen lunged at deputies and was combative, while the boy's father, the driver of the car that was stopped, said his son cooperated and Morse attacked without being provoked. The family's lawyer, Joe Hopkins, said the teen is developmentally disabled with no arrest record.

The teen was booked for investigation of assault on an officer; his father was cited for driving with a suspended license.