A top LAFD official fled a crash but got rewarded instead of disciplined, a new video sheds light on the unusual actions of the agency’s top cop.
In one of the videos embedded below, a state police helicopter flies over LAFD officials as they leave a police crash in the San Fernando Valley. The officers escape the crash scene, even though the LAFD was involved. The footage does not show them actually fleeing the scene but they do not appear to stop or even slow down.
The LAFD did not respond to the Times’ request for comment on the matter.
In the second video below, LAFD officer Anthony Garcia was riding in a state police patrol car but a cop with a camera got behind the wheel. When the cop tried to break into the car, he was attacked, beaten and dragged by the cop with the camera.
When asked if the LAFD was at fault, department spokesman Jim Gomez replied, “It’s not up to the LAFD to discipline the officer. He was wearing his uniform, he was driving an LAPD patrol car, and he was on duty at the time.”
But, no, said Gomez, the department is not responsible for the actions of police officers who wear uniform and drive on duty.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Police Commission will consider a complaint against the chief that claims he tried to cover up a department policy that violates California’s Human Rights Act.
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The California Civil Rights Commission has also filed a complaint saying police misconduct continues to be rewarded even now that the LAFD is under state control.
Gomez declined to answer questions about the videos, but did say: “This was not an accident.”
The complaint against Chief Charlie Beck and the LAPD, who had been investigating Garcia for a possible sexual assault, said he broke the LAPD’s policy on handling allegations of sexual misconduct by requiring officers who are accused to give their reports to Internal Affairs.