Cop in Brutal Roadside Beating Could Face Felony Charges
Daniel Andrew, the California Highway Patrol officer who was seen repeatedly punching an unarmed black woman on video last month, could face serious felony charges for the beating, according to the CHP.
The agency, which conducted an internal investigation into the incident, turned its findings over to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office yesterday. It said in a news release that the report detailed serious crimes Andrew could be charged with, but did not state what those charges might be, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
Marlene Pinnock, the 51-year-old woman in the video, has bipolar disorder, and was off her medication at the time of the beating. Andrew's police report claimed Pinnock was endangering herself by walking in traffic, and drivers called in reports of a woman "who appeared drunk or high" walking on the shoulder, according to the Monitor.
Carre Harper, Pinnock's attorney, said Andrew should be charged with battery and attempted murder. "I can't foresee any reason why [DA Jackie Lacey] would not press felony charges against him," Harper said. "Our hope is that she acts swiftly."
"He grabbed me, he threw me down, he started beating me," Pinnock told the Associated Press earlier this month. "I felt like he was trying to kill me, beat me to death."