Truly favorable attitudes cannot prevail when a question of misuse of authority, either real or imagined, arises. They were stopped, they say, because two of them are black. Before they start complaining too loudly about how much it On July 2, the Torrance City Attorneys Office filed a criminal complaint charging Lena Hernandez, with battery, a violation of California Penal Code Section 242. The grand jury found that Torrance was one of only two police departments among those it reviewed that warned complainants that filing a false claim against a police officer is a misdemeanor. Attorneys for the former officers contend the phones were obtained through a search warrant that was overly broad and violates Californias digital privacy law. I am writing to ask for some clarification regarding the data on officer-involved shootings you provided us with. Non-Emergency Police Response: (310) 618-5641 3300 Civic Center Drive, Torrance CA 90503 Animal Control: 310-618-3850 Community Affairs : 310-618-6392 Morgan Ricketts, the attorney for Pesikov and White, said the councils vote was deeply disappointing., The city of Torrance doesnt even want to know what its own residents think about this issue, she said, and I think that was a fair compromise between the parties.. One year later, Tomsic was one of several officers involved in a deadly altercation with Deautry Ross in the Del Amo Fashion Center, according to district attorneys records. What is the total number of citizen complaints (allegations of misconduct) made against your departments officers annually for the last 10 years? The officers did not necessarily testify in each case, so its unclear how many of those cases could be affected. That department is infected with the disease of denial . A survey of records at Police Watch, a nonprofit Los Angeles group that monitors Southern California police agencies, revealed numerous complaints by minorities alleging that they were pulled over by Torrance police for no reason. And he wrote De Ladurantey a letter after the incident. The results of that investigation, though, likely wont be made public for another two years or so although Hart said he is working on a new collaborative reform model never before done in the state of California, which would allow quarterly or biannual updates on the status of the investigation. Armour said its unlikely that misconduct reminiscent of the TPD texting scandal would ever make it to a state oversight board without a more localized oversight commission that is equipped to keep a close watch on the departments policies and procedures. . Please include documentation regarding how many of these officer-involved shootings involved disciplinary action. So we totally racially profiled his ass, haha Shopping at 7/11 while Black, he didnt know the rules lol, Tomsic wrote, according to the records. Its a deep-seated cultural problem, Price said. for having expired tags, for having a taillight out. Simple traffic stops often result in crimes being solved and wanted criminals apprehended, he added. Additional officers received the texts but did not interact with them in any way, so they are not considered under investigation, those sources said. In the mid-1990s, Torrance was hit by a spate of civil rights lawsuits and complaints, including one that contended a Black employee found a hangmans noose dangling above his desk. Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer, Subject: RE: California Public Records Act Request: Torrance, CA PD Citizen Complaints. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton, in 1981 with a bachelor of arts in communication. The fate of two former Torrance police officers may rest Monday with a Superior Court judge who has been asked to throw out evidence that the officers shared The Records Division public counter is located in the main lobby of the Police Department. Torrance will not survey residents to determine the communitys support for an independent oversight commission to monitor the police department effectively shutting down activists and residents years-long calls for more robust accountability of law enforcement in the city. The 2017-2018 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury observed in the course of its investigation that effective community relations and public trust can be earned through an open and accessible complaint process.. Sometimes youve got to do things your own damn self, Kawamoto replied, later adding a comment that he wanted to always make Torrance great again, a reference to former President Trumps ubiquitous political slogan. The fate of two former Torrance police officers may rest Monday with a Superior Court judge who has been asked to throw out evidence that the officers shared racist and homophobic text messages. Rob Bonta said Wednesday his office will investigate the department in the wake of the scandal. The comments represent a sliver of a trove of racist text messages exchanged by more than a dozen current and former Torrance police officers and recruits. The officer has also been implicated in a racist text message scandal involving a dozen other officers. Rollo Green--who, according to testimony, had a history of alcohol abuse--caused the death of Kelly Rastello, 19, of Long Beach, by making an illegal left-hand turn in front of the motorcyclist, jurors said. An attorney for the union said the officers were barred from commenting on the investigation. George Gascn. The proper administration of law enforcement can be insured only through a highly professional police agency which respects itself and earns the respect of the public. Your complaint will be quickly, professionally, and objectively investigated in order to arrive at an appropriate conclusion. Which of the above data are published publicly? 3300 Civic Center Dr. SB 2 is very expansive, Hart said, noting that the American Civil Liberties Union of California recently announced its support for the bills expanded approach to police accountability. Webbyot port allen how common is a false positive herpes test; free teen tubes stnr disposable not charging; asriah queen sue lightning lost stream; legolas and thranduil fanfiction lemon One said that Torrance officers had shot Hispanic teen-agers before just for wearing big (street gang uniform) pants, Jose Esparza said. According to their attorney, they were not cited. Records operates on a round-the-clock basis, performing Simpson case, the downfall of Orange County Sheriff-turned felon Michael S. Carona and the use of unauthorized drugs by Olympian Carl Lewis. Usually, conversations always seemed to circle back to vile insults or depictions of violence against Black people. He eventually went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later. MuckRock users can file, duplicate, track, and share public records requests . The tape showed them continuing to choke and beat Tice, who is white, well after he became unconscious. So, I started asking if we had checked for text messages.. . Torrance Police Department is notin compliancewith: This information has been curated by journalists andprivate citizens; and, this platform is available as-a-service to allPeace Officer Standards & Training [POST] Departments,Prosecutors, andLaw Enforcement Organizations [LEOrgs]. Some City Council members said they went outside the department for a chief because of unhappiness at the number of suits against the city. But the blow that many believed would force change in the department came in 1989. The Records Division is a service support unit within the Services Bureau. It is not unusual for minorities to complain that police harass them with pointless stops in an attempt to discourage them from driving through certain white neighborhoods. When Gascn charged Officer David Chandler with assault in late August for allegedly shooting an armed man in the back, sources told The Times that Chandler was also under investigation as part of the scandal. City officials report an exceptionally high level of public support for the departments practices, saying that politically conservative Torrance expects and even demands a hard-line approach to law enforcement. I actually made some comments about how, generally, when someone does this kind of stuff, there are bigger patterns of behavior. . We have a group of officers who, apparently in addition to harboring very biased and racist beliefs, also may be engaging in inappropriate force that could be illegal in some cases, he said. The governments current inquiry into allegations of racial harassment of the public is simply an effort to bolster its discriminatory hiring case against Torrance, one Justice Department official said. For assistance PROOF OF SERVICE Executed by Plaintiff Robert Thomson, upon Defendant Torrance Police Department served on 8/2/2011, answer due 8/23/2011. He said, You little ----, you went to my watch commander and made a complaint against me. 1. Im not going to tell you were not going to take some heat from time to time, but I think even good departments do that, Mayor Dee Hardison said. Plaintiff. What those text messages revealed was an extraordinarily hostile attitude toward people of color, people who are nonbinary, people who have different sexual orientations, said Walter Katz, a former independent police auditor in California who now serves as a vice president of criminal justice for research firm Arnold Ventures. . The text messages might have remained hidden if not for the alleged bizarre actions of Tomsic and Weldin in January 2020. Minutes later, firefighters on scene noted Ross pulse was beginning to weaken. I dont know that we can take anything theyve said at face value.. Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency for LA, San Bernardino counties due to severe winter storms, Alpine Village, for decades a German American hub, faces unknown future, Real snow falls at Disneyland not the fake soapy stuff, Is there a problem with paying cash for a car? WebCurrent Announcements for Positions. with conspiracy and vandalism for allegedly spray-painting a swastika inside a vehicle. Tony Saavedra is an investigative reporter specializing in legal affairs for the Orange County Register. Please include the number of officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline. Gascn praised Torrance Police Chief Jeremiah Hart for moving quickly to provide information to prosecutors, noting he met resistance from police leaders when investigating similar scandals involving racist text messages among San Francisco officers. After one officer shared a news article about someone being arrested for urinating on a Black child and calling them the N-word, Satterfield replied, whats the crime? according to district attorneys records reviewed by The Times. Want the latest investigative and FOIA news? The complaints against Torrance allege a more intense racism. Although the officers actions were found to be justified in each case, experts say those cases should be reexamined in the context of the hateful messages. Please fill out, sign and mail or submit at our station lobby. 2. Records operates on a round-the-clock basis, performing numerous tasks aiding our department, other law enforcement agencies, and the general public to gain access to necessary records. The California Attorney Generals ongoing investigation into 13 officers who have been placed on leave for their participating in the exchange of racist text messages that joked about lynching Black men, among other things will provide a check to see where we can optimize performance and increase accountability, Police Chief Jeremiah Hart said during Tuesdays meeting. GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. . In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. We had to [expletive] her up because we knew he wouldnt, one officer wrote in one exchange about an altercation with a female suspect. The officers also shared instructions on how to tie a noose and a picture of a stuffed animal being lynched inside Torrances police headquarters, according to the documents. They just go too far over there., Adds David Lynn, a Venice-based private investigator who specializes in police misconduct cases: As far as harassing minorities . Torrance police sustained 35 out of 43 internally generated complaints of officer misconduct from 2016 to 2020, Ponegalek said. Saavedra has worked as a journalist since 1979 and has held positions at several Southern California newspapers before arriving at the Orange County Register in 1990. Jackie Lacey, but the case is one of several that Gascn has hired a special prosecutor to review for possible criminal charges. Ex-Torrance police officers move to suppress, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Ex-Torrance police officers move to suppress use of offensive texts, Hermosa Beach Police arrest 2 men suspected in shooting attempt, LA County serial rapist sentenced to 310 years in prison, Man wrongly imprisoned for decades declared innocent in killing of woman in Inglewood, Gov. Since 2013, the group of officers identified by The Times has been involved in at least seven serious use-of-force incidents in Torrance and Long Beach, including three that ended in the deaths of Black and Latino men, according to police use-of-force records and court filings. Some individuals may be reluctant to file a complaint for fear of reprisal from the officer or officers they are complaining against or the police department itself, the grand jury report added. The caption read hanging with the homies.. Any documentation or reports that detail the annual number of officer-involved shootings in your department for the past 10 years would be sufficient. Another photo asked what someone should do if their girlfriend was having an affair with a Black man. . Torrance settled some suits, lost others and won some, still spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements. For assistance please contact our Records Division at (310) 618-5529, or you may place a request, pursuant to CPRA, directly to the Torrance City Clerk located in City Hall, 3031 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503. You can also visit their webpage to make a Public Records Act Request online. One should allow 10 days for an agency to comply with a records request. The officers were responding to calls from a mall employee who said Ross was walking through the building with a knife, muttering to himself. Chavez, Williams, Satterfield and Tomsic all opened fire on Michael Lopez in 2017 after a vehicle pursuit that started in Palos Verdes Estates. If I were a citizen, youre damned right Id want people stopped . With fallout from the Rastello case still raining down, 27-year Los Angeles Police Department veteran De Ladurantey was brought in. Its one of the most exhaustive reviews that one could ever do in the state of California, and its a very important step for us, he added. Attorneys for Weldin and Tomsic did not return messages seeking comment. The incident sparked significant protests including one inside Torrances City Council chambers that led demonstrators to file excessive-force lawsuits against several of the officers The Times identified in this article and remains under review by Gascn. The first spate of costly lawsuits began in the late 1980s. WebTorrance Police Department Internal Affairs. The findings were outlined in a grand jury report titled Policing the Police that investigated how the public could make complaints against police officers in a dozen county cities, including Inglewood and Culver City in addition to Torrance. You would want to consult them, figure out what their values and viewpoints are, then legislate and implement their values not yours.. I questioned whether there was any other things that would lead us to believe that this is not sort of a single crime event, he said. Frequently, hateful comments were targeted at Black people. Any police department mirrors the community, said Wally Murker, head of the departments detective division. Even if the results of investigations are inconclusive, tracking complaints can provide an early warning system to identify and take corrective actions to improve employee conduct.. They said they were stopped, pulled from their car at gunpoint, berated with racial threats during a 2 1/2-hour search, told to leave town and not come back--and escorted to the San Diego Freeway. What got them pulled over, the three allege in their suit, was not erratic driving or outstanding warrants. A key purpose for receiving and investigating complaints is to identify law enforcement personnel that frequently or habitually engage in inappropriate behavior, the report said. Torrance, however, has spent more than $1 million so far to defend its hiring practices, with City Atty. Thanks so much for your help with this request! Some critics say the citys most recent vote against a survey is a show of the councils unwillingness to address the concerns of the Torrance community. Please find attached the information requested in your email. The homeless man was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, being in the park after dark and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to a Long Beach police spokesman. Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated). In both cases, plaintiffs alleged that the officers leveled guns at their heads, tore apart their vehicles with no probable cause and without permission, intentionally and painfully yanked their testicles during body searches and made numerous racist threats. Schroeder used a carotid restraint hold sometimes referred to as a blood choke to subdue a homeless Black man in a park in November 2018, according to Long Beach police records The Times obtained through a public records request. A knife was recovered at the scene. If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead. Another picture he sent referred to an African American baby as a Pet Niguana, according to the records, and he also sent a message mocking the fact that he was the subject of a racial profiling complaint. it. Whenever it appears that somebodys chipping away at that crust, were going to rise to the occasion.. The city also pointed towards Harts recently established Chiefs Advisory Board which aims to serve as a forum for discussion to foster understanding between the police department and the community as another means of oversight as the city awaits the investigation results and the official establishment of the state oversight board. charged Officer David Chandler with assault in late August for allegedly shooting an armed man in the back, Torrance police officer linked to racist text message scandal is charged in 2018 shooting, similar scandals involving racist text messages among San Francisco officers, More racist text messages uncovered among San Francisco police officers. 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