Los Angeles County prosecutors have dismissed the remaining charge against a man allegedly beaten unconscious by police during his arrest.
District attorney's office spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales confirmed Wednesday that there are no more criminal charges against Clinton Alford Jr., 22. The final charge was dismissed Friday, she said.
Alford had been initially charged with resisting arrest and possessing rock cocaine for sale and also for personal use.
"They should have never filed it in the first place," said Alford's attorney Caree Harper. "They filed (the charges) to cover up their unconstitutional felony battery on Mr. Alford."
Harper said Alford deserved an apology and that the incident was "symptomatic of the times."
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department couldn't immediately provide comment Wednesday.
The officers involved in the incident were placed on paid leave shortly afterward pending an internal investigation.
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The incident is also being reviewed by the department's independent inspector general and the district attorney's office.
Meanwhile, Alford filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this month alleging civil rights violations over the Oct. 16 arrest in South Los Angeles.
According to the lawsuit, he was riding his bicycle home shortly after noon when an officer tried to stop him. He said he got scared and ran away.
Alford said he was chased down by officers, who used a Taser on him. Alford said that he wasn't resisting arrest, but he was kicked so forcefully that he blacked out and lost a filling.
A store's surveillance camera captured the incident, but the video has not been released.
The lawsuit names the city, Police Chief Charlie Beck and five officers.
Beck said in a statement last month that he's "extremely concerned about this particular use of force."
"Let me be very clear. Any officer that is found to abuse the public is not welcome in this department, and we will apply whatever legal or administrative means necessary to insure the community's trust without exception," Beck said.
