Los Angeles

New Video Released of Man Dying in Chokehold by LAPD Officer

New surveillance video was released Friday showing the final moments of a man's life before died while in a chokehold by a Los Angeles Police Department guard in 2012.

Vachel Howard died while in custody at the 77th Street Community Police Station in Los Angeles after he was arrested on a DUI charge. Since then, his family won a nearly $3 million in a wrongful death settlement from the city of Los Angeles.

The family's attorney, Jim DeSimone, said the video shows LAPD officers using excessived force on Howard, who was unarmed.

The video does not show how the struggle began, but it shows a number of officers taking Howard to the ground and tasing him six times. An officer held him in a chokehold, after which Harold lies motionless.

Howard's death was caused by neck compression, coronary atherosclerosis and cocaine intoxication, according to coroner's officials.

Officers said Howard was combative, and he told them he was schizophrenic.

A police commission investigation found that the chokehold violated department policy and the officer got a 22-day suspension. None of the other officers involved were disciplined.

"Without the video all we have is the account of the officers. It paints Mr. Howard as being violent in the jail and the video shows he was just trying to move away from the officers. (He was) really helpless and floundering, instead of somebody who was actually a threat," DeSimone said.

The family's attorney says it also took several minutes before CPR was given by a jail nurse. He says the family had reservations about releasing the disturbing video, but ultimately they hope it will result in better training for law enforcement.

"There's been so many videos released where we see police killing someone when there were other ways to handle a situation. Hopefully this is a galvanizing force which will bring change to policy in Los Angeles and the entire country," DeSimone said.

The video was released by ProPublica, which said LAPD refused public records requests to release it.

Both the City Attorney's office and LAPD declined to comment.

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