Oakland Police Officers Fired Over Search Warrants
Posted: 8:04 pm PDT April 24, 2009
Updated: 11:28 pm PDT April 24, 2009
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Four Oakland police officers accused of involvement in a scandal in which officers allegedly lied to get search warrants have been fired. That is the largest number of officers to be let go at one time since the infamous Riders misconduct scandal in 2000.
The fired officers are Karla Rush, Francisco Martinez, John Kelly and William Burke. All four were veterans. Each had seven to ten years of experience with the department.
Dominique Arotzarena of the Police Officers Association came to their defense. "They're good officers. They're trained. It's just unfortunate that they were trying to do the right thing they got caught up in a situation they weren't properly trained for."
The Police Officers Association said it will vigorously defend the terminated officers and that the officers will fight their terminations through arbitration.
"I'm confident that during arbitration that the facts of this case will be shown. This is a training issue and not an issue of people trying to do the wrong thing," said Arotzarena.
In the affidavits, the officers stated that substances seized on the streets had been tested and it was determined that indeed they were drugs. But in fact, no testing had been done.
Alameda County judges used the officers' statements as a basis for search warrants on homes and apartments involved in drug investigations. In many cases, residents were arrested.
But when the searches were found to be illegal, prosecutors had to drop or dismiss charges against 16 people, and two others have been released from probation.
They now are among more than 50 plaintiffs bringing a civil lawsuit against Oakland and its police department.
The spokesman for the plaintiffs, Jason Hodge said, "Now that they've terminated these officers, they've got to move forward with training and rebuilding credibility so this doesn't happen again."
"I think it's about 50 percent a training issue and 50 per cent rogue officers," Hodge said. "We're happy to see that some movement's been made. We hope that a year from now or ten years from now, we're not back in the same place again."
Seven other officers accused of involvement in the scandal returned to work earlier this month.
Posted: 8:04 pm PDT April 24, 2009
Updated: 11:28 pm PDT April 24, 2009
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Four Oakland police officers accused of involvement in a scandal in which officers allegedly lied to get search warrants have been fired. That is the largest number of officers to be let go at one time since the infamous Riders misconduct scandal in 2000.
The fired officers are Karla Rush, Francisco Martinez, John Kelly and William Burke. All four were veterans. Each had seven to ten years of experience with the department.
Dominique Arotzarena of the Police Officers Association came to their defense. "They're good officers. They're trained. It's just unfortunate that they were trying to do the right thing they got caught up in a situation they weren't properly trained for."
The Police Officers Association said it will vigorously defend the terminated officers and that the officers will fight their terminations through arbitration.
"I'm confident that during arbitration that the facts of this case will be shown. This is a training issue and not an issue of people trying to do the wrong thing," said Arotzarena.
In the affidavits, the officers stated that substances seized on the streets had been tested and it was determined that indeed they were drugs. But in fact, no testing had been done.
Alameda County judges used the officers' statements as a basis for search warrants on homes and apartments involved in drug investigations. In many cases, residents were arrested.
But when the searches were found to be illegal, prosecutors had to drop or dismiss charges against 16 people, and two others have been released from probation.
They now are among more than 50 plaintiffs bringing a civil lawsuit against Oakland and its police department.
The spokesman for the plaintiffs, Jason Hodge said, "Now that they've terminated these officers, they've got to move forward with training and rebuilding credibility so this doesn't happen again."
"I think it's about 50 percent a training issue and 50 per cent rogue officers," Hodge said. "We're happy to see that some movement's been made. We hope that a year from now or ten years from now, we're not back in the same place again."
Seven other officers accused of involvement in the scandal returned to work earlier this month.
