LAPD officers face administrative charges in controversial shooting

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks announced Wednesday that six officers have been charged with misconduct as part of the ongoing corruption investigation for their roles in a fatal shooting that left one man dead and two wounded.

Former Officer Rafael Perez, the government's key witness, has called the incident a "dirty shooting" and state prosecutors are considering possible conspiracy and attempted murder charges against several officers involved in that incident, CNN has learned.

The charges stem from the scene of what the police department calls "an officer-involved shooting" on the night of July 20, 1996. In that incident, according to sworn statements published in the Los Angeles Times and confirmed by CNN, Perez and several officers from a gang suppression unit descended on an apartment building west of downtown Los Angeles searching for gang members suspected of planning a retaliatory attack for a fatal drive-by shooting the day before.

What ensued, according to Perez and witnesses, was a shootout in which police fired 10 rounds, killing one man and wounding two others.

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According to published transcripts, former Officer Perez, who was present, claims that officers deliberately shot two unarmed men, delayed calling an ambulance, and fabricated evidence by planting a gun and lying to investigators about the incident.

Juan Saldana, 21, died and Oscar Paralta and bystander Salvador Ochoa were wounded, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office.

According to an internal affairs complaint obtained by CNN, the most serious charges include "inappropriately discharging a department shotgun" causing injury to Oscar Paralta and Salvador Ochoa. Other charges include altering the crime scene, providing false information to investigators and lying under oath, according to the complaint.

At a news conference, Chief Parks said his department is determined to discipline any officers involved in corruption despite a pending criminal investigation by state and federal prosecutors. To date, no officers have been fired from the department since Perez began cooperating with investigators in exchange for a plea agreement for cocaine thefts, CNN has learned.

Parks said the administrative action was taken after an extensive investigation involving task force investigators and the internal affairs department. The charges were filed just days before the administrative statute of limitations expired, he added.

An attorney for the officer charged with inappropriately firing his gun said his client did "nothing wrong."

"The shooting was thoroughly investigated by credible members of the LAPD's officer-involved shooting team in 1996 and they reached a correct decision, that is, the shooting was justified," said attorney Ira Salzman. "To rely on allegations by Perez is disheartening."

Chief Parks acknowledged Wednesday that investigators are relying on testimony from former officer Perez, an admitted liar and thief, although most of his sworn testimony has been corroborated by independent witnesses, Parks said.

Since the corruption probe emerged in September, four officers face felony criminal charges while at least 35 officers have been relieved of duty, fired or quit as a result of the investigation, CNN has learned.

So far, 97 felony criminal convictions have been overturned as a result of the scandal.

CNN's Charles Feldman reports on the LAPD corruption scandal
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The Los Angeles Police Department
  • Office of the Chief of Police

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