Inglewood officer denies assault charge

Morse (right) and Darvish (left) both pleaded not guilty

A Californian police officer whose violent arrest of a black teenager was caught on video has been charged with assault

Jeremy Morse - a white officer with the suburban Inglewood police force - pleaded not guilty before a court in downtown Los Angeles.

The video, shot through the window of a motel room, sparked outrage when it was first shown on local television.

Officer Morse was shown slamming 16-year-old Donovan Jackson's face into the bonnet of a police car and then punching him in the head.

Officer Morse has been suspended with pay

Officer Morse is accused of assault "under colour of authority", and faces up to a year in prison and $10,000 fine if convicted.

He appeared before the court with his partner, Bijan Darvish who pleaded not guilty to a charge of filing a false report.

The report did not give details of officer Morse's actions. Both men were released on bail pending their trial.

After the brief hearing Mr Morse's lawyer defended his client's behaviour, describing it as "proper and reasonable".

He said Mr Jackson, although handcuffed at the time, was resisting arrest and had grabbed his client's testicles - actions which he said merited being punched in the face.

"My client believes that an impartial jury will find that the use of force was necessary and he will be acquitted," said his lawyer, John Barnett.

Officer Morse has been on paid leave as federal, state and local investigations were launched.

Calls for reform

The videotape caused a storm of protest in one of the world's most ethnically diverse cities.

Barnett says Morse acted appropriately

There have been calls for wide-ranging police reforms, including tougher penalties for officers who break the rules.

The incident has prompted comparisons with the 1991 beating of black motorist Rodney King, also caught on video, which led to some of the worst rioting in America's history.

The teenager at the centre of Officer Morse's case has launched a federal lawsuit against the city of Inglewood and four of its police officers, as well as Los Angeles County and three sheriff's deputies, who were also present for the arrest.

Activists have condemned the arrest of the man who made the video, Mitchell Crooks, as intimidation by authorities.

Mr Crooks had been summoned before the grand jury looking into Officer Morse's case before being arrested and flown to northern California to serve a seven-month sentence for petty theft and drunk driving.

Struggle with police

On 6 July, Donovan Jackson and his father Coby Chavis were pulled over at a gas station by LA County sheriff's deputies in Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles.

The car they were driving reportedly had expired licence plates.

Inglewood police were called in as the sheriff's deputies were questioning Mr Chavis.

In a police report, Officer Morse said that Donovan Jackson was arrested for struggling with police.