Patterico's Pontifications

5/17/2006

LAPD Busts Police Officer for Allegedly Fabricating Evidence

Filed under: Crime,General — Patterico @ 9:15 pm



This is excellent:

A veteran Rampart Division police officer was relieved of duty Friday after being accused of lying about a drug arrest. His suspension comes days before a judge is to decide whether to lift federal oversight of the department imposed because of a corruption scandal at the station six years ago.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief William J. Bratton suspended the officer after a six-month sting operation by internal affairs investigators. As part of the sting, officials set up a situation late Tuesday in which Officer Edward B. Zamora, 44, arrested an undercover detective, according to two sources.

Zamora said in his police report that the undercover detective dropped narcotics during the arrest, sources said, but surveillance officers knew that he hadn’t.

I think this is great. Everyone in LAPD should know that any suspect at any time could actually be an undercover Internal Affairs officer, testing the arresting officer’s courtesy and honesty. This can only increase public confidence in LAPD. In addition, it gives prosecutors the information necessary to review past arrests by this officer. We seek justice in the D.A.’s office, and don’t want to convict innocent people. Stings like this help us achieve justice.

Thanks to commenter nosh for the pointer (although he was far too rude about the way he tipped me off.)

9 Responses to “LAPD Busts Police Officer for Allegedly Fabricating Evidence”

  1. Thank you for posting this.

    nosh (d8da01)

  2. When I read this article the other day, I wished the Times had answered a basic question… did the Internal Affairs officer have the drugs on him and did Zamora only lie about his probable cause, or did Zamora actually plant the drugs?

    Either way is criminal and he should be prosecuted fully regardless. But I think its much more grievous to actually plant the drugs.

    It’s a pretty obvious question, & I don’t understand why the Times didn’t answer it or at least acknowledge it.

    Susan (795ef1)

  3. To me when a police officer does this it is one of the most heinous crimes that can be committed. It ranks right up there with rape, just short of murder.

    Dwilkers (a1687a)

  4. Certainly, committing a crime under color of authority is far worse, in my opinion, than if a civilian committed it.

    Of course, something like this can only be committed by a police officer…

    McGehee (5664e1)

  5. Remember to all you people who make a comment here! Not all LAPD officrs are bad and you are going to have a few bad seeds with over 9000 employees.

    I would have also liked to see the LA Times answer some questions too, but once again we get their one sided verison of the events.

    Just for the record did you know that Deputy Chief of LAPD Internal Affairs has committed seriuos misdconduct which probably would have lead to demotion or termination of the average officer but Bratton protects his boy because he handed picked him for that position and doesn’t want to lose face.

    Dawg (0a8642)

  6. Susan hit the issue on the head. Planting drugs on an innocent person is a little different issue from arresting a person for drug possession w/o probable cause. Although the probable cause case would be dishonest, planting drugs should get the officer some well deserved prison time.

    jeff martin (5f44dd)

  7. Officer Venn from the Ceres Police Dept, tried to plant drugs in my SUV on 7-5-06. On 12-24-05 He illegally entered and searched my home along with Officer Moore and Sargeant Vierra on a false police call and false police report that my brothers girlfriend made up. I was at my friends house early in the day and gone for two hours. When the officers entered my home illegally they asked my daughter dumb personal questions, that only an idiot of an officer would ask. Moore was searching without a search warrant but found nothing, so they fabricated a DUI, vandalism and obstructing an officer. Which was all a lie, because at trial they couldn’t back up they’re fabrication so they lost it was 8 not guilty and four guilty, they looked like bunch of idiots at court. My case was dismissed on 6-30-06 and the judge issued me an abstract for the DMV to get my license reissued, because of the fabrication. So five days later on 7-5-06 they retaliated and drove by my neighborhood and when the officer seen me he flipped a u-turn and turned on his light, followed me to the store and told me that he was going to impound my SUV for driving on a suspended license. I alleged with him about the fabrication and retaliation. It’s been 8 weeks since I haven’t had my SUV and the weird thing about this. Is why didn’t he file it in traffic court like the ticket states a court date on 9-13-06 at 9:30 p.m. So I called to confirm the court date since I haven’t received anything by mail like they normally do 30 days after the incident, but in my case they only impounded my SUV, but no court date filed, is that racism, retaliation or what do you call abuse of police power. Can you please publish this for me and my children.

    Thank You,
    Stella Martinez and Children

    Stella Martinez (50bde2)

  8. I want to comment on the Ceres Police Department, when Officer Venn, Moore and Sargeant walked in our home without anyone inviting them in on Christmas Eve. They took my mom to jail for four days without giving her her right to own release, that’s why they lied about the vandalism of damages $420.00 or more to make it a felony, but in court with the photos Sargeant Vierra showed only proved $10.00 at the most of damages. Elida lied about her name and address just to send my mom to jail and the officers helped and sargeant helped her malicious plan. Was my mom set up by Elida and the Ceres police Dept. or what. Mrs. Smith is the Deputy Sheriff who booked my mother on 12-24-05, who also happens to be Officer Venn’s wife, that’s what he told my mother that Mrs. Smith was his wife. Mrs. Smith didn’t allow my mother to make her 3 or more custodial calls like she’s entitled to by law, because of Officer Venn’s demand, not to let my mom bail. She’s under investigation by the Sheriffs Internal Affairs, which I’m hoping they don’t cover up for her like Higginbothom, Borges and Chief De Wek did to us. Made things worse. They also left us home alone my 6, 12 and myself 14 home alone. My mom begged them them to call the Child Protective Services and all they did was laugh in front of our face. What happened to Meagan’s Law or No Child Left Behind? I guess if you are a U.S. citizen and latino you’re not entitled to any government help according to the Ceres Police Dept. We have filed couple of citizen complaints and they tell us that their officers did their job correct and that they will no longer investigate this crime the officers and sargeant committed. What more fabrication? Two days after giving our recorded testimony by Higginbotham who is the Ceres Police Dept. in charge of the internal affairs investigation, he sent his buddy who is a detective to stop and harrass my two uncles and gave a fabricated no seatbelt ticket to my 21 year old uncle who was in the passangers, while parked at his friends market nearby his home and his friends. They took his Ca Id and kept it to hide their crime and forge his signature on their fabrication for leaving us home alone for 4 days. Now that they retaliated on 7-05-06, since they lost in court they came to our neighborhood to take our 2003 Denali Yukon Xl, and the case was never filed in court, we have until 9-2305 to pay $2,500.00 for garage storage fees and Repo fees or it will be sold on the following day. We’ve called the Ceres Police Dept. and spoke several times with the Chief Of Police De Werk, who is behind this crime Officer Venn committed and he just wastes our time lying and making excuses and nwe are sick and tired of their lame excuses. They want us carless and homeless. We also had a 2005 Toyota Camry that got repossed in March, because instead of making the car payments, we had to pay the bail bonds, that these officers maliciously fabricated and we were left in danger. If the officers and sargeant knew that Tony my mom’s friend didn’t have a driver license then why did Officer Venn hand him the keys to the Camry and to our home without our consent. Shoudn’t he asked me if it was ok, since he treated me like an adult, when I had just nturned 14 years old three weeks before this crime the CPD committed. The judge called them bullies in court, but why haven’t criminal charges been charged on the, so that they can keep dcommitting these types of crimes over and over and getting away with it. They are under investigation with the DMV and I pray that justice will soon catch up to them and pay for this crime. My mom is a single mother of three, was a Realtor, we have a nice two story home, we had two new vehicles and now we are von welfare, and our home will be going into foreclosure soon, thanks to these malicious, racist, hatred officers and sargeant. We are in the process of suing them for civil damaged, pain and suffering, if you happen to know an attorney who is willing to help us sue, please let us know, we appreciate your help and everythiong I said and wrote, I do have evidence in papaer not facts like the CPD, that is why they lost. John Baker the prosecuting, D.A. is under investigation with the C.Ac State Bar for helping and covering up the officers and sargeant.

    We Pray For Justice,
    Erica Martinez(14) Adrian Martinez(12) and Mariah Martinez(6)

    Erica Martinez (c6a8d4)

  9. […] Patterico's Pontifications » LAPD Busts Police Officer for …LAPD Busts Police Officer for Allegedly Fabricating Evidence … in which Officer Edward B. Zamora, 44, arrested an undercover detective, … […]

    Lapd officer zamora arrested | ZwemPlezier.co.cc (e0d1bf)


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