Hawthorne Ca

A videotape shows two Hawthorne police officers slapping high-fives in the aftermath of an arrest in which one of their co-workers allegedly kicked a handcuffed suspect in the face, breaking his jaw. Confronted with the videotape, which was recorded at the city's jail, Hawthorne officials last week paid $1 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the 25-year-old suspect, Anthony Goodrow.

The family of a 12-year-old autistic boy who was shot last year with a police stun gun at a Hawthorne middle school accused police officials on Monday of removing their son from school in handcuffs days after the incident and subjecting him to an interrogation in retaliation for a misconduct complaint the family had filed. The family's attorneys contacted The Times after reading the Hawthorne Police Department's version of the Sept. 23 incident in the newspaper this week.

Hawthorne police say a man arrested on suspicion of raping and beating an elderly woman last week may be responsible for other similar crimes. Gary Labon, 48, was arrested Friday after officers responded to a neighbor's call about "a female screaming outside" and found him on top of a 70-year-old woman in the 12900 block of Jefferson Avenue, authorities said. The woman was collecting recyclables about 3 a.m. when the suspect allegedly attacked her, said Lt. Michael Ishii. The victim, who was found unconscious, was sexually assaulted and badly beaten.