URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n207/a05.html
Newshawk: Terry Liittschwager
Pubdate: Mon, 14 Feb 2000
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2000 Los Angeles Times
Contact:
Address: Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053
Fax: (213) 237-4712
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Forum: http://www.latimes.com/home/discuss/
Author: Scott Glover, Matt Lait, Times Staff Writers
BEATINGS ALLEGED TO BE ROUTINE AT RAMPART
Anti-gang officers in the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart
Division routinely and unnecessarily punched, kicked, choked and
otherwise beat suspects in an effort to intimidate the gangs that the
officers were charged with policing, according to confidential
investigative documents and interviews.
The officers then fabricated elaborate stories in police reports, even
planting drugs on a suspect, to account for their victims' injuries,
disgraced ex-officer Rafael Perez has told investigators, who are
questioning him as part of his plea bargain to secure a lesser
sentence on cocaine theft charges.
Although allegations of unjustified shootings are the most sensational
disclosures Perez has made to detectives, he said that beatings were a
far more common form of misconduct, involving many of the officers now
under investigation in the growing scandal.
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