Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey has never filed charges against an officer for shooting an unarmed citizen. During a community meeting she recently attended, she admitted its tough filing these types of cases, despite former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck’s urging her to do so. The city of San Francisco will be a case study on the election of a DA, whose parents are cop killers, and an elected official who publicly denounces the police officers association.
Related: D.A. declines to charge former LAPD officer in fatal shooting of homeless man near Venice boardwalk
Our ethical duty under the law is to file cases that we believe 12 ordinary citizens from the community would find that they could convict the officer on that evidence. And it’s tough. And I do care.
Jackie Lacey, LA County District Attorney
However, critics point to her acceptance of financial support from law enforcement agencies, as reasons why she chooses which cases to file against agency members, which are typically for on/off duty conduct, not for shooting unarmed citizens.
As I addressed at the Stonewall, if that were true then we would never file any case on an officer. In fact, if you look at our records, since I’ve been here, we have filed criminal cases on 80-plus officers for both on duty and off duty conduct, including one officer-involved shooting. With regard to the Venice case, it was not Chief Beck’s job to be the prosecutor in the case. He’s the police. He’s not the prosecutor.
We examined the evidence and we put out a pretty detailed report with videotape indicating that we thought differently.
There was a struggle…and he had to defend himself and that Brendan Mullen (Brandon Glenn) was reaching for his gun. So, we stand behind what we said and what we’ve written and invite the public” to review their “extraordinarily detailed” 81-page report…So I disagree and I think that facts are on my side and victory will be on my side again.
Lacey is facing two challengers. One is the former District Attorney in San Francisco, who was a former LAPD officer. George Gascon, has also failed to charge officers, as it relates to officer involved shootings, but like Lacey, he also charges cops with on/off duty conduct issues.
Related: Rally denounces DA’s failure to charge killer cops
San Francisco residents elected a new District Attorney, Chesa Boudin, has never prosecuted a single case, and his parents are in jail for murdering two police officers, while robbing an armored truck.
Related: Chesa Boudin, son of infamous Brink’s truck robbers, elected San Francisco DA
It will be interesting to see how San Francisco police officers work alongside the new District Attorney, who relies on officers to investigate and appear in court to win cases. San Francisco Supervisor Sandra Fewer, recently led a chant of “fuck the POA” at Boudin’s election party.
Related: San Fran supervisor gets elected, leads anti-police ‘F*ck the POA’ chant
Will law enforcement officers stop showing up, for court and/or radio calls, in an act of defiance? Will there be anarchy in San Francisco? Stay tuned.
