A Los Angeles Police Department officer has been charged with the assault of a woman for kicking her in the groin during an arrest made last year.
48-year-old LAPD officer Mary O'Callaghan was charged Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, who spoke with the Los Angeles Times. The incident resulted in the death of victim Alesia Thomas, who died shortly after she was assaulted.
O'Callaghan was one of a group of LAPD officers called to Thomas' house to check out claims that the 35-year-old woman had left her children alone at a nearby police station. Once the officers arrived at her house in the 9100 block of South Broadway Avenue, a few officers placed Thomas under arrest, and put her in a patrol car. A police car's camera caught O'Callaghan kicking Thomas in the stomach and groin while pushing her in the throat, the LA Times reported. Thomas was wearing handcuffs and leg restraints, prosecutors told the court on Thursday. When Thomas was inside the patrol car, she fainted, and authorities called paramedics to move her to a medical facility nearby. She died not long after.
"While I cannot comment on the specific incident because I have not seen the video and the officer involved has her own legal counsel, the alleged actions of the officer are incongruous with her reputation as an officer who was known to be diligent, courteous and ethical," Tyler Izen, Los Angeles Police Protective League president, wrote in a statement. "This officer had previously been publicly commended by the LAPD for community efforts and was publicly commended for helpings a burglary victim's family who lost all their presents at Christmas time."
According to the autopsy report written by the Los Angeles County coroner, Thomas had cocaine in her system, which was most like a "major factor," in her death. But the coroner also said that it was impossible to figure out how the struggle with the police officers played into Thomas' death. The official cause of death has been classified as "undetermined."
The LA Times reported that two of the officers ignored Thomas' cries for medical attention, and the third cop could have lied about the event, according to LA Police Chief Charlie Beck, adding further questions to the already puzzling incident.
The coroner's report also said that Thomas, who had bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and drug addiction, left her 3-year-old and 12-year-old children outside of a police station a few hours before she died.
