L.A. TACO has identified the police officer seen in a viral video sucker-punching a detained man named Alexander Mitchell in Watts over the weekend as Los Angeles Police Department Officer (LAPD) Joshua Sportiello.
The Black officer seen in the video, who was criticized for not condemning his partner’s behavior, is LAPD Officer Luther Lordeus.
L.A. TACO identified the officers—with the help of cop watchers William Gude (Film The Police L.A.) and @WhosThatCop—by combing through nearly an hour of body camera footage that the LAPD quietly released on Wednesday.
“I was concerned by the initial video circulating on social media and immediately directed a full investigation into all facts and circumstances of this incident,” Chief Dominic Choi said in a statement. “Above all, I want the people of Los Angeles to be assured that there will be appropriate accountability.”
The video released by LAPD is currently “unlisted” from their YouTube channel, meaning it does not show up on their page or appear in search results.