2 OFF-DUTY LAPD OFFICERS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY PISTOL-WHIPPING MAN IN WHITTIER [UPDATED]
Los Angeles Times
January 27, 2010, 8:37 am
[Excerpt] Two off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officers have been arrested for allegedly pistol-whipping a man during a fight in Whittier, authorities said this morning. One of the officers apparently got into an argument with his girlfriend about 8 p.m. Tuesday outside a Panera Bread restaurant in the 15600 block of Whittwood Lane, the Whittier Police Department said in a statement. Witnesses told police the officer took issue with a bystander, who was watching the altercation while talking on his cellphone, and struck the man in the face. A fight ensued, during which one of the officers allegedly pulled out a handgun and began hitting the victim in the head, the statement said. The victim was able to break free, but both off-duty officers chased after him and tackled him to the ground, where the assault continued... [Full article here]
2 LAPD METRO DIVISION OFFICERS ARRESTED IN OFF-DUTY ASSAULT
Argument with girlfriend escalated to attack on bystander, who was beaten by officers, officials say. Two men are charged in a brawl that began with a fight between female deputy and another woman.
Los Angeles Times
By Richard Winton and Hector Becerra
January 27, 2010, 7:16 p.m.
[Excerpts] Two off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officers were arrested for allegedly attacking and pistol-whipping a man in Whittier on Tuesday night. In a separate incident, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy on medical leave got into a fight near a Highland Park bar and was stabbed... LAPD Officer Brandon Valdez, 29, and LAPD Officer Patrick Fitzgerald, 38, were arrested Tuesday night by Whittier police on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after the victim was hospitalized with head trauma. The elite LAPD Metro Division officers, who have been with the department since 2002, were immediately placed on administrative leave. "The victim suffered serious injuries to his head as a result of assault," Whittier Officer Mike Dekowski said... The incident began when Valdez got into an argument with his girlfriend about 8 p.m. Tuesday outside a Panera Bread restaurant... The victim eventually escaped by running into a nearby Target store, just as Whittier police took the LAPD officers into custody... Valdez was featured prominently in a November 2007 Times front page story on the work of gang beat officers in South Los Angeles. Valdez displayed a mild manner and polite personality... In the second off-duty incident, which occurred about 1:20 a.m. Wednesday at Figueroa Street and Avenue 59, an unidentified female sheriff's deputy and another woman got into a fight in a parking lot near the Little Cave bar. The fight grew to involve other people and the deputy was allegedly stabbed by a male companion of the woman she had been fighting. A male friend of the deputy then allegedly shot the man, LAPD Capt. Bill Murphy said. Both men were arrested, Murphy said. The deputy, who was not arrested, is in stable condition. [Full article here]
2 OFF-DUTY LAPD OFFICERS HELD IN PISTOL-WHIPPING
The Associated Press
Published: Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010 - 12:36 pm
[Excerpts] ...Whittier police say 29-year-old Brandon Valdez and 38-year-old Patrick Fitzgerald were booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon Tuesday night after the off-duty incident. They were released Wednesday on $30,000 bail each. The LAPD says they are on administrative leave pending an investigation. Whittier Lt. Carlos Solorza says the officers had been drinking and were outside a cafe when one began arguing with his girlfriend... Solorza says the unnamed officer thought a 31-year-old bystander was paying too much attention to the squabble and pistol-whipped him. The man was treated for head injuries. [Full article here]
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So I take it that your site is all about posting whatever is in the media regarding police officers in a negative light?
ReplyDeleteThis is the worst page I've ever seen. It appears biased toward anything associated with law enforcement. Very profound!
ReplyDeleteThe 2 cops were not elite,there both little girls who have to gang up and use pistols to fight? fire both them girls. the cops buddy had to help cause he was about to get his butt kicked!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat's with the public "altercation"?
ReplyDeleteAnd the phone call?
PROBE CONTINUES IN ASSAULT CASE AGAINST TWO LOS ANGELES OFFICERS
ReplyDeleteWhittier Daily News
By Ruby Gonzales, ruby.gonzales@sgvn.com
Posted: 01/28/2010 08:13:25 PM PST
PROSECUTORS HAVEN'T FILED CHARGES YET against two Los Angeles police officers accused of BEATING a Whittier man during a fight Tuesday. Brandon James Valdez, 29, and Patrick Anthony Fitzgerald, 38, REMAIN FREE on $30,000 bail each. They belong to an LAPD unit THAT HANDLES VIOLENT CRIME... Valdez and Fitzgerald were arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a fight outside Panera Bread at 15630 Whittwood Lane that SENT A 31-YEAR-OLD WHITTIER MAN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH HEAD TRAUMA... A man who answered Valdez's cell phone Thursday said the officer isn't accepting calls... Fitzgerald didn't return phone calls... [LAPD Lt. Tony Lomedico] said the two men belong to a field platoon in the Metropolitan Division, which works SPECIAL DETAILS. Its duties include CRIME SUPPRESSION... Lomedico said the Metro division is SENT TO AREAS WHERE THERE IS BLATANT, VIOLENT CRIME. The division also handles HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS. [Full article here]
Los Angeles Police "Elite" Officers/Assault Suspects Patrick Fitzgerald and Brandon Valdez belong to one of LAPD's special Metropolitan Division field platoons assigned to handle blatantly violent crime areas.
ReplyDeleteSeems that might be like pouring gas on fire - or is it the fire that made these two men combustible? There should be specialized yearly psych evals and substance abuse monitoring ESPECIALLY for officers who face high risk zones every day - for the benefit of the public, the officers, and their families. Let's say IF this crime happened, and I believe it did, regardless of what pushed their buttons (the alcohol, they knew the victim, a God-complex, whatever) I "get" police aggression more than folks probably know. The same elements of their personality that make them good at their job are the same elements that can snap back on them and destroy them. It's the same elements that can hurt or kill others or the officers themselves. When there's danger *I* run away or call the police. POLICE go TO the source of danger. People who are not law enforcement or supportive of law enforcement don't get what that does to a person over time. It's not just the heightened vigilance, but being lied to all day, a target all day, watching people you risked your life to arrest standing on the corner bailed out the next day. I've seen officers who started out idealistic turn dangerous. Sparkling proud rookies can end up handing out back alley justice. So when I say there needs to be psych evals and substance abuse monitoring - it's not anit-cop or accusatory. It's a measurement. Maybe a cop would be better rotated to a different assignment for awhile - even if he didn't want to be. Knowledge is power and we know enough to know better than leave things the way that they are.
Police do not want to be tested or monitored, but they need to be.
Here in Washington we have recently had SIX OFFICERS KILLED, all of them ambushed unsuspectingly. So it's enough to put on the uniform - but then having to be cock of the walk in areas where the danger is KNOWN to be high takes ATTITUDE - the kind that can't be pretend. An attitude that is hard to shut off.
I'm Christian but I think another thing that could help is a little Buhdist training - borrowing from the strengths of that belief system to use as a tool to keep one's balance. We could probably all benefit from it.
I want to feel bad for these two cops because it happened so fast, but there is no room for sympathy. It was the reflex of trained killers. Trained killers that were perhaps drinking while carrying their firearms. Trained killers that doubled up on one as-far-as-we-know unarmed victim.
And what have these two LAPD officers taught us about getting involved when we see what we believe to be a mounting domestic situation? We are supposed to turn our heads and pretend that we don't see - or else.
Officer Valdez and Fitzgerald should be fired. Will they be? We'll see. They should ALSO be legally held responsible for the crime if they committed it. They are a liability to Los Angeles, a danger to the public, and no longer able to be entrusted with sworn powers of arrest, life-altering discretion over others, or a city-issue weapon.
I hope whoever the woman that Valdez was arguing with is okay.
I hope these officers can find other jobs they like.
I hope the victim sues. Not much else pushes change to happen.
Sounds like the victim deserves a vacation and freedom from financial worries for awhile.
A couple of drinking violent officers don't "tarnish" a department. HOW THE DEPARTMENT HANDLES officers who commit crimes is what makes the image. Leaders lead.
Not one article said the girlfriend was there, so I'm doubting anyone was being protected... Maybe everyone should be innocent until proven guilty by a jury of their peers...or is that only for people who don't carry a badge?
ReplyDeleteYou're arguing with air,
ReplyDeletethen splitting a hair.
No one said she was "there."
Talk about drunk with guns
pistol whipping for fun
like punks, 2 on 1.
Will they be found guilty of the original charges? Maybe not. We don't know if there are circumstances that are not reported or known yet. You are right, the media is not a court of law - and either is this blog.
ReplyDeleteAlleged crimes and suspects are discussed on blogs before they go to trial - even by law enforcement officers.
That's the way it is.
This blog is dumb. Get a grip people.
ReplyDeleteIt's a matter of choice...these two gentlemen chose to use physical violence to solve their problem - I can't do this and get away with it!
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the "innocent" victim chose to involve himself in a situation that was none of his business - I'm not saying that he deserved what he got, but hopefully he'll think again next time about "choosing" to get involved in other people's business.
Finally, the female "chooses" to be in the relationship - pehaps she may reconsider and see things in a different perspective
We all make choices...I hope we all think about the impact of our choices, take responsiblity for them, and pay closer attention to our behavior in public!!!
Gibberish.
ReplyDeleteOne of the articles state Valdez is a Marine veteran of Iraq and was wounded in Ramadi and subsequently awarded the Purple Heart. God Bless our veterans
ReplyDeleteplease visit broderickdixon.blogspot.com
ReplyDeletewas anyone of you chiming in with your two cents, there to see what exactly happened? of course not. so opiniated without having have all the facts. just your speculation on what you think happened based on the little bit of information that was reported in very short articles. thank goodness for the court system that hears and examines evidence to decide what actually occured. people are so judemental, and people suck.
ReplyDeleteYeah, and thank goodness for the police union lawyers, right?
ReplyDeletePeople suck?
Guns don't pistol whip people,
people who suck do.
you don't know if that even happened (pistol whipping). why? because YOU weren't there. or maybe i'm wrong. were YOU there? people that believe whatever they read and assume its true, suck....
ReplyDelete"innocent until proven guilty in a court of law"....ever heard of this? and why is this phrase important? because the TRUTH comes out in court....not biased blogs and newspapers...
Do your parents know you are on the computer?
ReplyDeleteThis guy must be one of those people who it a little bitch, never seen true violence. This by far is the worst site I have ever seen, go follow the heard my friend, the media only puts out what they want. Did you know that the Officers are the ones who called the cops, along with the guy who got his ass kicked was hitting on his girl and wouldn't leave her along.
ReplyDeleteYou have some serious issues when it comes to police officers. I agree with the other comments that your blog is biased. Police officers do a lot for our communities and the people in it. Why don't you make a seperate blog to report that! It's quite obvious you hold a grudge towards police officers. You seriously need to get help to resolve your issues with authoritive figures. Get a life loser and if you really want to bash on cops...maybe you should try to be one before you criticize. Oh yeah, and I'd love that you hide behind this facade of your so called blue wall...Yeah you're a true winner....you bash all you want because your hiding "behind your blue wall". Do you even have a regular job or life? Maybe you need a boyfriend or girlfriend so you can stop worrying about criticizing other people who put their lives on the line everyday. You need to worry about yourself. What's the matter....You couldn't pass the academy?....bitter? Yeah, but I bet you won't post this will you?
ReplyDelete"you hide behind this facade of your so called blue wall"
ReplyDeletePerhaps, but are you not hiding behind the name "Anonymous"?
No, you are.
ReplyDeleteThe gf was there and she's a psycho herself! I wouldnt doubt that she probably beat the guy too!
ReplyDeletecop are here to watch us but who keeps eye on them? it seems that when one of us do something wrong it all over the air waves if a cop gets into truble they seem to have sampthy for him remember we one in the same only one go to jail the other gets adminstration duty.
ReplyDeleteSo anyone know what happened with this?
ReplyDeleteNo announcement of charges filed or dropped.
Seems like LAPD and DA are more than content to let LAPD PSB investigate this thing. Looks like its gonna be swept under the rug.
Any updates?
ReplyDeleteToo stupid or lazy to do the work to find out. LOL
ReplyDeleteIf the DA simply refuses to file charges, and also refuses to make an announcement about whether charges are dropped or pending, while at the same time LAPD professional standards bureau is investigating, pray tell me how a citizen would possibly find out anything. Maybe you as a cop are the one that is stupid or lazy for making such statements. You certainly wouldn't be the first straight C high school student who went to work in law enforcement and likewise would not be the first lazy copper out there. Guys don't earn nicknames like "Slow" and "Molasses" for nothing.
ReplyDeleteThis is not what happened at all, the 2 officers are innocent and I personally know Valdez, he's one of the most respectful people I've met! Outstanding Marine as well.
ReplyDeleteYou know Valdez. What does that have to do with the events of that evening?
ReplyDeleteSo what happened to these police officers?
ReplyDelete