Inglewood mayor calls for firing of abusive police officer

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- A police officer who was videotaped as he slammed a handcuffed teen-ager onto a car and punched him should be fired, the mayor said Tuesday.

"Based on the investigation he should be fired, no question about it, that's my opinion," Mayor Roosevelt Dorn said at a news conference. Outside, dozens of protesters shouted, "No justice, no peace."

Dorn called for the investigation to finish within 10 days. He said he reached his conclusions after viewing the bystander's videotape, which has been shown repeatedly on television.

The tape shows Inglewood officer Jeremy Morse smashing Donovan Jackson, 16, into a car, then striking him in the face during an arrest at a gas station Saturday. Two other officers appear to intervene, with at least one trying to pull away the first officer's arm.

The mayor said the officer's actions were criminal and that he should be charged with assault and violating the teen-ager's civil rights.

"I'm sure if I looked there are other crimes," Dorn said.

Inglewood, a city of 115,000 in southwestern Los Angeles County, has a police force of 211 uniformed officers.