Thread: 19 cops targeted in May Day melee; but no high ranking

19 cops at fault in May Day melee
By Rachel Uranga, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 07/09/2008 12:14:21 AM PDT


May Day rallies 2007

MacArthur Park immigrant rally

Immigrant Workers Rights

March for immigrants

Immigration Protest

The LAPD has targeted 17 officers and two sergeants - but no high-ranking officials - for misconduct during last year's May Day confrontation that broke out after an all-day immigration-rights march, officials said Tuesday.

The unnamed officers were the only ones singled out for punishment by the department in an incident that sparked frank mea culpas from LAPD Chief William Bratton and a scathing, self-critical report.

Disturbing images of riot-clad officers firing rubber bullets into a crowd of women and children and roughing up reporters during the May 2007 incident were broadcast across the country.

Hundreds of people were injured, and protesters filed more than 240 claims against the city.

While some questioned whether the department went far enough to find all those responsible, Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell defended the investigation and said supervisors who were not included might have performed poorly that day, but that their performances didn't amount to misconduct.

"You are looking at something that may fall short of misconduct, or would fall dramatically short of it, and it may be something that will be looked upon as performance rather than misconduct," he said.

Without releasing specifics, McDonnell said investigators found that most of the 19 officers exercised unauthorized use of force.

Reaction to the news was less than favorable. On one side, Peter Bibring, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, called the report "encouraging" but questioned why nobody higher than sergeant was punished.

"If you have got many or most of the officers in the LAPD's most highly trained unit acting in an unconstitutional way in broad daylight with cameras, they need to ask themselves how is it officers came to think this kind of action might be acceptable," he said.

Tim Sands, president of the 9,700-member Los Angeles Police Protective League, backed the officers involved.

"The fact that officers have been (recommended for discipline) by the department does not mean that the administrative process is over for the officers," he said. "As Chief Bratton once said, `Policing isn't pretty.' Skirmish lines are not pretty, and, as we all know, the events of that day were exacerbated by command and control problems that have already been brought to light."

Last month, investigators delivered the allegations to the officers, who have 30 days to respond. From there, Bratton will review individual cases and recommend a punishment.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is still investigating 29 officers for possible criminal charges and the FBI is looking at civil-rights violations.

The department's own report revealed that top brass failed to adequately plan for crowd control, including a failure to train officers, and many officers had no idea who was in charge. And when things spiraled out of control, "not a single supervisor or member of the command staff involved attempted to intervene," according to the report released last year.

The department stopped short of naming officers in the report, but did single out then-Deputy Chief Caylor "Lee" Carter, Cmdr. Louis Gray and Capt. John Egan for their failure to control the situation.

Shortly after May Day, Bratton demoted the commander in charge that day, Carter, and reassigned his second in command, Gray. Carter has since retired.

Bratton put most of the blame squarely on the department, created a new office to handle crowd control and changed qualifications to enter the elite Metro Unit, which responded that day. The unit had long been seen by outside observers as overly aggressive and isolated.

Though the LAPD pinned responsibility on poor leadership and communications, only Carter and Gray have been punished. Scott Kroeber, then-captain of the Metro Unit, has since been promoted. Egan remains captain of the Rampart Division.

"The fact that the only discipline action proposed by the department is at the police officer and sergeant level raises the question: What is the level of individual accountability and remediation at higher ranks other than the two senior officers affected immediately after May 1?" said Alan Skobin, a member of the civilian Police Commission.

Internal affairs investigators examined videos to find officers they could identify for misconduct. As for supervisors and managers who performed badly - but not to the level of official misconduct - they could undergo new training, or notes will be made on their record, McDonnell said.

Attorney Carol Sobel, a longtime police critic who is suing the LAPD on behalf of 190 protesters, said it appears that the department was going light on those involved.

"I think more than 17 officers were involved in beating and shooting people," she said. "It means they are only charging the officers that they can actually see hitting people."

rachel.uranga@dailynews.com 818-713-3741

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_9822376

1 hr ago
Rachel Uranga is very biased. Her stories by all rights should be on the editorial page. She is not deterred by the lack of facts...but will disparage the LAPD at any turn. Every wonder why she is wearing dark glasses inside? It is a Canibis users cover. I whas hopeful that in the latest layoffs at the paper, she would be at the top of the list. Maybe next time. BSR
candorguy
Los Angeles, CA Reply »
|Report Abuse |#22 1 hr ago

The fiasco of the LAPD is nothing new. Rogue cops are here to stay--period! Remember Rafael Perez? Too bad the mayor is too busy to be a mayor. And, I must mention that Bratton is no better! Crime is down--what a joke!
Santa Clarita
Los Angeles, CA Reply »
|Report Abuse |#24 1 hr ago

The problem with the LAPD is Bill Bratton who supports Special Order 40 and the secrecy statute that protects LAPD from public disclosure. I do agree that Rachel Uranga has a skewed view toward illegal aliens at the expense of the LAPD. Let remember, that the illegal aliens are analogous to an arsonist who set his house on fire, then complains about being homeless. You throw rocks, bottles or anything else and expect to be treated kindly is absolutely hilarious. When will the flaming liberals stop and think how far the mexicans have brought us down to their cockroach level and finely do something about illegal immigration. I'm sure some officers were out of control, but I certainly don't want to walk in their shoes. The anger should be directed towards Bratton and Tony Villar who bend over for their fellow Catholics regardless if they're criminals. Hey Bratton and Villar, what are you going to do about Canoga Park Alabama (CPA)? My kids need shoes and CPA members can provide the hide so that Americans can wear designer sandals.
Bobby
Long Beach, CA Reply »
|Report Abuse |#25 7 min ago

So Called Police Chief Bratton is nothing more than a corrupt politician and a--wipe. He should take off his police uniform because he is a disgrace to it. He empowers lawlessness, and corrutpion in Los Angeles by his support of illegal aliens and gangs, over innocent citizens. It's impossible to have "too little" respect for him.
Just one American
Los Angeles, CA Reply »
|Report Abuse |#26 5 min ago

This city is ready for WALTER MOORE N O W !!
We need I C E/NG to cordon off Broadway from Washington Blvd. to Macy St on a weekend and clean up and send the illegal aliens packing.
Illegal aliens = Crime, anarchy & a drain of money on the citizens of this city. SPECIAL ORDER 40 is an insult to every decent citizen of this city.
Look around Los Angeles it is a cesspool of corrupt goverment from the city council to that fool of a mayor. The 19 LAPD officer should be commended for their heroic action. The only complaint I have is that they did not bash each and everyone of those thugs to a pulp and those traditors of local ethno-centric morons of the new media ie tv11.

The department's own report revealed that top brass failed to adequately plan for crowd control, including a failure to train officers, and many officers had no idea who was in charge. And when things spiraled out of control, "not a single supervisor or member of the command staff involved attempted to intervene," according to the report released last year.

The problem here is that the top brass is trying to save its collective butt by demonizing officers who were put in a dangerous situation and left on their own. Did these honchos think that the marchers would be peaceful? HAHAHAHA, good one! LA needs to clean house as far as politicians and "top brass" ASAP.

The police were put in an impossible situation on 5-1-2007. If they didn't react quickly enough to the agitators, it's possible that a full-scale riot would have ensued, with the burning of cars, upending city structures, looting, etc.

So they made a decision to take aggressive action, and clear out the park before sunset. But a fair amount of the crowd of demonstrators just wouldn't move. It's natural for them to be defiant of the police, being mostly illegal immigrants. Also, they knew they had a pro-illegal-immigrant Mayor who would back them up no matter what. And they adamantly thought they had a right to be in the park until 9 PM. So they intentionally challenged the police.

What are the police supposed to do with demonstrators who just keep on standing there? The police have to react aggressively in some kind of way. But then we have to deal with the Mainstream News Media, who try to claim that any amount of force at all is too much force.

I saw one video posted on YouTube of a demonstrator backing up slowly from the police. The policeman gave him a slight push, hoping he would get the message to exit the park. This demonstrator fell down to the ground on his own accord! Not because of the small push.

This makes the police's job so much harder. Now they have to coax this demonstrator up off the ground, and convince him all over again that he should exit the park. Meanwhile, the police are also trying to usher out hundreds, perhaps thousands, of others out of the park. No wonder the police started having conniptions.

The police had a long-range of vision of public safety, and tried to move the large crowd out of the park quickly and efficiently. But the main media wanted to portray the story that the police were "scapegoating immigrants".