Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD): April 21,1980 to November 30, 2013 - Honorably retired at the rank of Sergeant. Peace Officer Standardized Training (P.O.S.T.) certified peace officer with Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Supervisory certifications. Patrol and field functions for a total of 18 years. Responded to tens of thousands of emergency calls for service. Assigned as Delegate and Defense Representative on behalf police officers of the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Assigned as a detective trainee, Southeast Division, Major Assault Crimes (MAC). Filed cases with the Los Angeles County District Attorney and Los Angeles City Attorney. Prepared and presented criminal cases for preliminary hearing and trial. Testified approximately 150+ times at preliminary hearings and criminal trials and Municipal Court as an investigator and fact witness. Testified at preliminary hearing under California, Proposition 115, Peace Officer Hearsay Testimony, pursuant to the Crime Victims Justice Reform Act 1990. Assigned to the Los Angeles Police Academy, Law Training Unit, trained new police recruits, designed curriculum based on Department policy, and P.O.S.T standards. Conducted in-service training of seasoned veterans with law updates each year. Promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1998. Assigned to train and monitor police officers daily to follow Department policy. Conducted investigations involving pursuits, use-of-force incidents and a myriad of other investigations. Reviewed and approved thousands of Department reports involving personnel, arrests, evidence, use-of-force and pursuits. Conducted personnel complaint investigations involving allegations of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, excessive use-of-force, violation of pursuit policy, and neglect of duty, just to name a few. Assigned as Watch Commander (WC) and Assistant Watch Commander (AWC) at various patrol divisions . Watch Commander duties included but were not limited to review and approve criminal investigations, arrest reports, evidence reports, administrative complaint investigations and Injury-On-Duty (IOD) Worker’s Compensation investigations. Assigned to Legal Affairs as a staff researcher/writer with Management Services Division (MSD), Special Projects Unit (SPU) to develop and write Department policy. Assigned to interact with the District Attorney and City Attorney to develop policy opinion based on case law. Final "completed staff work" was then reviewed by the Police Commission and approved by the Chief of Police. Sergeant II, Internal Affairs Investigator and Department Advocate conducted serious allegation investigations against Department personnel. Assisted the Department's, Advocate Office with case preparation and presentation for Board of Rights hearings. Watch Commander of Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) to oversee Citywide (City of Los Angeles) Jail Operations of three regional jails, seven divisional jails, and monitor through the Chain-Of-Command the well being of more than 400+ personnel. These facilities took in approximately 75, 000+ prisoners per year. I have Investigated multiple uses-of-force, cell extractions, and in-custody deaths. Assigned as the Acting Officer-In-Command of 77th Regional Jail which commanded Jail Division, Operations South Bureau of approximately 150+ personnel. Assigned as Acting Commanding Officer of Property Division, and Command Officer-Adjutant, charged with overseeing approximately 150+ employees as well as evidence booked, stored, and processed such as the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit (SAEK) and other DNA preserved evidence. Assigned ancillary duties as a Department Chaplain in 2002, became the President of the Chaplain Corps in 2011 until retirement in 2013. Responsible to train and oversee more than 65 Chaplain's with various ethnic and religious backgrounds. I currently serve as a Reserve Chaplain Volunteer.