Last week at an immigration rally in Los Angeles, California, police responded to protesters who were said to be throwing rocks and plastic bottles with force. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa condemned the Police Department’s use of force against demonstrators and reporters at the immigration rally, saying he was “deeply, personally troubled” by the clash.

“To say we are outraged is an understatement,” said state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles. “We want those responsible in the highest levels of the LAPD to pay consequences.”

The police union criticized Nunez for what it called “police bashing.”

“… Setting up the population to believe that law enforcement is the enemy is a dangerous game,” union President Robert Baker wrote in a letter Friday. “It provokes a lethal us-against-them, anti-law enforcement mentality that encourages violence against police officers.”
Nunez’s spokesman Steve Maviglio said late Friday that the speaker’s outrage “should not be misconstrued as attack on the entire LAPD but rather at the command staff and the few officers who were using excessive force … The police union should be outraged as well since the few who did this tarnishes the reputation of the brave officers who protect and defend us.”

Police Chief William J. Bratton has expressed “grave concern” about what happened and promised a full investigation. He has said the use of force began while officers were dealing with 50 to 100 “agitators” who threw objects. At the press conference, he said he was “embarrassed for this department and embarrassed for the city we serve.”

Meanwhile, KTTV television news camerawoman Patti Ballaz filed a claim for unspecified damages against the city and Police Department alleging civil rights violations. The full nature of Ballaz’s actual injuries was not yet clear. She suffered a fractured wrist and injuries to her ankle and was hit in the breast with a police baton, said Kathy Pinckert, a spokeswoman for Ballaz’s attorneys.

There was no official tally of how many reporters were struck by police. Local media groups said they would meet this weekend to determine how to proceed.

Victor Narro, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild who helped organize Tuesday’s demonstration, said his group is reviewing videotape and considering whether to sue the department. He noted that in one tape he saw police fire a rubber round at a boy who appeared to be 10 and “toss him aside like a piece of meat.”

It’s clear simply by watching the news footage that this is yet another black eye on the blue uniformed men and women of the LAPD. The department’s use of force in the city is well documented and should be a concern for lawmakers.