Caught on Video: Halloween Party Turned Ugly

It began with a two-and-a-half minute verbal confrontation last year between a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant and the host of a Halloween party in Atwater Village. Neither person seemed to be in a very good mood and neither seemed to want to back down.

And, although there was nothing violent about the initial confrontation, guests could tell it was about to get worse.

"When I tell you to back off, you back off," scolded the sergeant.

"I told you to relax," the host responded.

"You back off," said the sergeant.

A home video showing the confrontation has been released by an attorney for the host. The LAPD plans to use it as part of an ongoing internal investigation into the incident, which took place at the home of Maria and Danny Moran in Atwater Village. 

When police responded to complaints of loud music, the confrontation got tense in a hurry. 

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"What's the problem," shouted a party guest.

"What's the problem? He's going to jail," the sergeant responded. 

When host Moran tried to write down the sergeant's badge number, the sergeant slapped the paper out of his hand. Then, when backup officers arrived, the sergeant moved in to make the arrest.

"You're gonna go to jail," said the sergeant. "Turn around."

"When he launched me against the gate, I hit my forehead on the gate" recalled Moran. "I went down and then my guests got up."

When the party goers tried to interfere with the arrest, chaos erupted. That's what the newly released video shows. But could it have been avoided?

That's what the LAPD Internal Affairs investigation hopes to determine.    

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