document: The City Council today asked county prosecutors to investigate the conduct of a white policeman who was secretly filmed while he pushed an off-duty black policeman through a plate-glass window . `` We 're certainly not happy to have an incident like this occurring , but we need all the information , '' said Councilman Thomas J. Clark of the council 's request for an investigation . Curt Livesay , an assisant Los Angeles County district attorney and head of the office 's Special Investigations Division , will lead the probe , said district attorney spokesman Andy Reynolds . The black Hawthorne policeman , Sgt. Don Jackson , said he set up the self-styled `` sting '' in Long Beach to expose alleged police racism in the Los Angeles area . An NBC-TV news camera crew arranged to follow Jackson during the sting Saturday night . The incident was broadcast on NBC 's national news Monday night . `` We 've never been able to come forth before with enough evidence -LRB- of alleged police racism -RRB- . Now , it is brought to your living room in living color , '' said Frank Berry , president of the Long Beach chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People . The police chief in Long Beach declined to comment pending an investigation . City officials promised a thorough inquiry . `` We will pursue it aggressively , '' said Long Beach City Manager James Hanklad . `` If there is evidence of brutality , we will act accordingly . '' Long Beach Mayor Ernie Kell said on NBC 's `` Today '' show this morning that he was disturbed by the videotape . `` I ... do not support racism or police brutality , nor do the vast majority of the citizens of Long Beach , and we 're a caring , thinking community and it disturbed us very much to see the tape , '' he said . Long Beach , about 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles , has about 450,000 people , including a sizeable black population . Jackson and a companion were driving through a high-crime area of the city when their car was pulled over and Jackson got out . The NBC-TV videotape shows a white officer attempting to search Jackson . The officer unleashed a stream of profanity and roughed up Jackson after he demanded to know why he was being searched . The incident renewed calls for a citizen board to review the Police Department . The idea first was debated last year amid allegations of police brutality . But Jackson 's boss said the black officer was looking for trouble . `` I submit that if Mr. Jackson had stayed in the vehicle , as did the driver , this incident would not have occurred , '' Hawthorne Police Chief Kenneth R. Stonebraker said at a news conference Monday . Since the incident apparently was timed by Jackson to coincide with the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the confrontation should be considered `` nothing short of timed sensationalism at the risk of serious injury to all of the parties involved , '' Stonebraker said . `` As a police chief , '' he added , `` I do not for one minute condone the unlawful use of force or police brutality . '' The 30-year-old Jackson , who has been on a stress-related disability leave from his Hawthorne job for 22 months , contends the incident is typical of a pattern of racism by white officers in the Los Angeles area . Jackson alleges racist slurs and actions forced him from the Hawthorne department . He has a disability lawsuit pending , has filed racism complaints against the department and conducted a similar personal sting operation against Los Angeles police . Jackson was riding as a passenger with Jeffrey Hill , a 30-year-old off-duty state corrections officer , when they were pulled over allegedly for straddling lanes , which they denied . Jackson got out after the car stopped and police approached . During an argument , Long Beach Officer Mark Dickey ordered Jackson to face a building and put his hands behind his head . Jackson complied , and moments later was pushed through a plate-glass store window . `` I 'm all right . OK , no problem , '' said Jackson on the videotape . Police booked Jackson for investigation of interfering with police and challenging a police officer . Hill was issued a traffic citation . `` The officer simply used violence , '' Jackson said Monday . `` I already cooperated and told him he could search me , '' Jackson said . `` I had already had my hands up and was turned to the window and he slammed my face in it . '' Jackson received support at a Monday night ceremony in Los Angeles commemorating King 's birthday . `` I 'm deeply concerned since it strikes me as a period when police violence and excessive force is rampant , '' said Mark Ridley-Thomas , executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference 's Los Angeles chapter . `` I 'm more so offended since the Hawthorne Police Department , which has no jurisdiction , is making judgment . '' Jackson said he chose Long Beach police because of complaints to the Police Misconduct Lawyer 's Referral Service of Los Angeles . David Lynn of the referral service said 50 misconduct complaints were filed with his group against the Long Beach police . Of those , 27 were filed by minorities , and 24 of those involved confrontations with white officers .
extractive_keyphrases: police racism police brutality white policeman black policeman long beach police racism complaints los angeles area serious injury