They shot him dead for stealing sunglasses while they were in a wooded
area, out of public sight AND THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT
-
Two FCPD leaders dropped from wrongful death lawsuit over fatal police
shooting
August 11, 2025
Two Fairfax County Police Department commander...
Young people, listen to me, if they can’t fill vacancies it means the job sucks.
Stop and think about it. And its not the job
itself, it’s the loons on the job because at this point the only people who want
the job are those desperate for authority, basically the same people everyone
avoided in high school.
Personnel
emergency declared as FCPD tackles staffing challenges
The Fairfax County Police Department is under
a personnel emergency amid a staffing shortage that has continued
for several months.
In a temporary shift,
police officers are transitioning to two 12.5-hour shifts and working mandatory
overtime, according to the FCPD. That departs from the standard staffing model
of three 11.5-hour shifts.
Additionally, patrol officers “may be
required” to help other squads to maintain safe staffing levels, FCPD told
FFXnow.
So far, the police
department has 194 operational vacancies, but that does not account for 50
recruits currently in the police academy. That leaves 144 total vacancies.
“We have launched a
multi-media recruiting campaign this summer with updates videos on our
new JoinFCPD.org website,”
a spokesperson said.
Some say the Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors has failed to provide adequate salary increases and
other incentives to attract and retain the county’s police force.
While officers saw an
average pay increase of nearly 8% in this fiscal year,
beginning July 1, pay scale steps were frozen between fiscal years 2019
and 2021.
“The salary increases
that some officers received this fiscal year doesn’t make up for what was
previously promised to them,” Steve Manohan, president of the county’s
chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association said. “Keep
in mind, there were hundreds of officers who only received a 4% cost of living
increase in fiscal year 2022.”
Board Chairman Jeff McKay
says the board is working with FCPD to recruit and retain officers, noting that
Chief Kevin Davis has a plan to reach out across the county, region and
nationwide — including non-traditional means like advertisements at movie
theaters. The department has also reduced the length of its application and
background information requirements in an effort to streamline the process.
“All of this is done to
position FCPD as an exciting and meaningful career choice for those who may
have a calling for public service,” McKay wrote in a statement.
McKay says the county is
looking at different ways to support officers as staffing adjustments continue.
“The Fairfax County Police Department is a top
destination for anyone who wants to serve their community, and we will continue
to get that message out while also exploring ways to maintain our regional
competitiveness in compensation and job satisfaction,” he said. “Like with all
municipalities during this pandemic era there is much work to be done, but our
team–and especially our officers–are up to the task, and we are here to support
them 100%.”
Still, Manohan says more
must be done to address the “exodus” of police officers from the county.
“Our board maintains that
a three-step decompression of the pay scale, or 15% pay raise is a reasonable
and good faithed effort to stop the exodus of officers from leaving the
department and makes an honest investment of the public safety of Fairfax
County,” Manohan said.
Part of that hiring
commitment includes increasing the number of women in the police. By 2030, the
police department hopes that at least 30% of its workforce will consist of
female police officers.
“An internal look at
retention are all aspects of a multifaceted approach to returning to our
complete staffing model,” the spokesperson said.
High vacancy rates have
plagued the public safety sector across the country. In Fairfax County, the sheriff’s
office has been affected as well.
Manohan says the time to
act is now.
“With nearly 200
operational vacancies within the department, violent crime increasing, and
officers being forced to work longer hours;
the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has failed to address
the serious issues concerning the rank and file of our department,” he wrote in
a statement to FFXnow.
The FCPD reported
an overall drop in crime last year
compared to 2020, though there was an uptick in homicides.
It’s unclear when
staffing will resume to normal operations, according to the FCPD. The
department did not provide specific information on how staffing shortages may
impact service, shifts, hours, and the composition of police units.
Family criticizes Fairfax Co. police for fatally shooting man suffering from mental health crisis
Fairfax
County police fatally shot 26-year-old Jasper Aaron Lynch inside a McLean,
Virginia residence.
"We
have a family member here who was having a bit of a psychotic break," the
caller says. "He's here now. He's throwing some stuff right now, so if we
can get a dispatch that would be really helpful."
So the
cops went over to the address and shot the kid to death.
In one
hand, Lynch can be seen holding a wine bottle, and in the other hand is a
tribal mask.
Officers
can be heard repeatedly telling Lynch to put the objects down. "It's
alright, bud," one says.
Lynch
disregards the demands and throws the mask at the officers and then runs after
them swinging a bottle.
So they
killed him.
"Our
son, Aaron, was experiencing a severe mental health crisis on July 7. He was
scared and asked for both of the 911 calls that were made that day. We believe
that the three police officers who answered the second 911 call could have, and
should have, handled this far differently," the statement reads. "To
respond to Aaron’s mental health crisis by shooting him at all, let alone
multiple times, cannot be justified. We recognize that, at times, police
officers face grave and unknown dangers in the line of duty, but that was not
the case for that call at our home regarding our son. Aaron was about 5’
6", slightly built, and holding just a bottle and a decorative mask.
"As
parents, we mourn the heartbreaking loss of our son and are left with only
memories and regret. Had we known there was any possibility that the police
responding to the second 911 call would use lethal force against Aaron during a
mental health crisis, we would not have involved them until a mental health
counselor could be present, as was the case for the response to the first 911
call. We hope our efforts to find out more about this incident will, in the
future, help families in similar situations avoid such a tragic outcome."
The
officer who shot Lynch has been identified as First Class Edward George. He has
been placed on administrative status.
Young people. do you want to work around people like this guy? Then stay the hell away from the Fairfax County Police, takea job with the federal government, join the army, anything else but these killers.
on the other hand, if your suspected of killing your infant daughter, you'll just get house confinement, ...
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va.
(7News) — Jason Michael Colley, a 42-year-old former Fairfax County police
officer charged in the death of his 6-month-old daughter in 2017, entered an
Alford plea to two counts of first-degree assault Thursday in Frederick County
Circuit Court.
An Alford plea is a type of guilty plea in
which a defendant maintains their innocence but admits that the prosecution's
evidence would likely result in a guilty verdict if brought to trial.
According to police, 6-month-old Harper Colley
died on October 31, 2017 after sustaining the injuries that led to her death on
September 19.
The State argued that the court sentence
Colley to a term in the Division of Corrections within the sentencing
guidelines of eight to eighteen years based on the two counts, followed by five
years of supervised probation. The defense argued for a term of home detention.
Judge Julia A. Martz-Fisher sentenced Colley
to a combined fifty years suspending all but eight years to be served on
private home detention. The defendant was also ordered to serve five years of
supervised probation with additional terms that he not engage in physical
punishment of children.
The plea agreement comes following four days
of jury selection for what was slated to be a lengthy trial.
On September 19, 2017, Troopers with the
Maryland State Police responded to the 12000 block of Fingerboard Road in
Monrovia for the report of a sick or injured subject. The call came in as
6-month-old female infant that was having seizures and not breathing. The 911
caller was the defendant, Jason Colley. The infant was transported to Shady
Grove Hospital in Montgomery County. The infant was later flown to Children’s
Hospital in the District of Columbia where she later passed away. Over the
course of a lengthy investigation, detectives determined that the infant’s
traumatic brain injury could not have been caused by an accident or illness,
but by an intentional act.
“We're hemorrhaging.”
Listen, young people.
There’s a reason the Fairfax County Police are short by 160-200 “officers”
because no one with an IQ over 80 will work there.
Why not?
Because the Fairfax
County Police are corrupt (call and ask why the last chief “resigned” so
quickly)
Because their short
staffed, they’ve lowered their standards and the people joining the force are the
same people you and everyone else avoided in high school.
Because no one want to
work with them, if you work with them, you’ll be worked into the ground (15 to
16 hours a day) for less money than trash collectors make (its true, look it
up)
Think about it…..is
this what you want to do with the prime years of your life?
Fairfax County Police Association whines about laws that keep them in check.
Virginia’s attorney general met with members of a Fairfax County cops group night to listen to their claims that new laws and policies are making it tougher for them to do their job.
They claim they’re
having a tougher time bringing charges in some cases because magistrates are
interpreting cases more liberally. …..as is the right of the magistrate since
the arresting cop evidently interpreted the laws from a narrow, far right view.
They’ve also
expressed concerns about inexperience on the part of some assistant
commonwealth’s attorneys and say some cases are being dropped.
Well….no, their cases
aren’t being dropped because some assistant commonwealth’s attorneys are
inexperienced….the law doesn’t work that way. The law is or the isn’t.
Experience has nothing to do with it.
Welcome
WHAT WE DO
Welcome to the Fairfax
County Police Department. The Department’s vision is to do whatever there hell
we want or at least as much as we can away with. We provide minimal ethical leadership and work to improve our closed cop culture. We
strive to preserve the sanctity of all human life, as long as people are
watching and to keep pace through intimidation. To visit the Chief's Page,
click the "Learn More" link below.
Fairfax Cops Busted For Aiming Guns At ‘Juvenile’ Filming Arrest In Virginia Viral Video: ‘You Have A Weapon’
Fairfax Cops Busted For
Aiming Guns At ‘Juvenile’ Filming Arrest In Virginia Viral Video: ‘You Have A
Weapon’
This
instance proves why it's absolutely necessary to allow citizens to record the
cops.
In
Fairfax County, Virginia, two police officers are being investigated after
getting busted for aggressively approaching and pointing their guns at a
“juvenile” who was filming them in a video that has since gone viral.
“Why are
you pulling the gun on me?” the cameraman—who police identified as a
minor—asked a female officer.
“Because
you have a weapon,” the officer responded definitively despite the fact that
the juvenile was not holding a weapon.
The teen
behind the camera shouted, “No weapon, no weapon,” but the officer kept her gun
on him despite the fact that, at this point, she had plenty of time to recognize
that the phone he was holding was not, in fact, a weapon. Meanwhile, another
cop ran up on the cameraman with his own gun drawn while shouting at the teen
to get on the ground.
Here’s
the excuse Fairfax County Police gave in a statement, according to Fox 5:
“Around 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, a group of 3-4 juveniles entered the IHOP, 6655 Arlington Blvd in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County. One of the juveniles threatened the hostess while another lifted his shirt, revealing what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband. The group departed but returned later attempting to get the employee to come outside to the parking lot. When officers arrived, the juveniles ran to a nearby parking lot, where officers detained two subjects and did not find a weapon. While detaining them, a third subject, who the officers believed to be involved, approached with something in his hands. Due to the nature of the call and not locating a weapon, officers ordered the subject to the ground at gunpoint. Officers determined the juvenile was holding a cell phone and filming. The three juveniles were detained and later released to their parents. The investigation has been assigned to a detective in our Criminal Investigation Division. As with all pointing of a firearm events, the incident is under review.”
Fairfax County Cops kill a man with mental health problems: Here’s what’s going to happen. The FCPD will investigate. The FCPD will determine they did nothing wrong. The FCPD will get away with it.
Fairfax County police identify man shot & killed
by officers in McLean home Thursday
Friday, July 8th 2022
The victim this time was 26-year-old Jasper
Aaron Lynch.
The incident began just after 7 p.m. Thursday,
with a 911 call about "a man in crisis." Officers and a co-responding
clinician arrived at the home on Arbor Lane, but say they were unable to locate
the person they'd been called about.
"Arbor lane.. caller is back on the phone
saying subject is now throwing things," a dispatcher can be heard saying.
Police say officers returned to the home in
response to that second 911 call, this time without a clinician.
The cops explained returning without the clinician
"We're going to determine exactly where she was, but nature of the second
call was far different than the first call"
In other words “We need time to come up with a
story to cover our ass”
When officers arrived at the home that second
time, they say a "struggle" ensued, and allege that Lynch charged at
officers with "something in his hand". Lynch was holding a bottle and
an object believed to be a large, decorative tribal mask. They allege Lynch
threw the mask at an officer and began to swing the bottle in striking motion.
Police said they attempted to verbally
de-escalate the situation before two of the responding officers deployed their
tasers and a third officer fired his service weapon multiple times.
"We have one subject multiple shots in
the chest. We need an ambulance now," an officer can be heard saying on
dispatch audio.
Settlement reached in suit alleging excessive force by Va. officer - The Washington Post
A $150,000 settlement has been reached in a
federal lawsuit alleging a Fairfax County police officer
Tasered and punched a Black man without a weapon on him……the FCPD investigated
and found nothing wrong with his actions…..
Let me interpret this for you: We’re having a hard time finding people who want to work as cops or who want to continue to work as cops so we’re broadening the scope of what police abuse is.
Police review panel adds process to weed
out unfounded complaints
TysonsReporter.com June 1, 2022 at
11:54am
Fairfax County’s Police Civilian Review
Panel has implemented a screening process to better assess whether complaints
have merit.
The panel, which reviews complaints of
misconduct by the Fairfax County Police Department, uses the process to
determine if a request should be reviewed by the entire panel, thereby
expediting its other cases.
“I don’t mean to disparage anyone who
brings complaints, but sometimes they are simply unfounded, and it is not
necessary for the entire panel to devote our resources to viewing a complaint,”
panel member Jimmy Bierman said during the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’
May 17 public safety committee meeting.
Unarmed man stunned by Fairfax Co. police officer settles civil rights lawsuit
Neal Augenstein | naugenstein@wtop.com
An unarmed Black man who was shocked
with a stun gun wielded by a white Fairfax County police officer in June 2020
has reached a settlement in a federal civil rights lawsuit, WTOP has learned.
Two months ago, a jury found Officer
Tyler Timberlake not guilty of three counts of assault and battery after using
his Taser stun gun on Lamonta Gladney while responding to a call in the Mount
Vernon area.
In March 2021, Gladney filed a civil
rights lawsuit against the officer, claiming Timberlake’s actions violated
Gladney’s constitutional rights against unreasonable search and seizure, and
equal protection under the law.
Court records obtained by WTOP show
Timberlake’s attorney, Heather Bardot, has notified the judge that the case has
been settled and the settlement has been approved by the Fairfax County Board
of Supervisors.
WTOP has asked for the details of the
settlement but Timberlake’s and Gladney’s attorneys, and a Fairfax County
spokesman declined to provide specifics.
Contacted by WTOP, Gladney’s
co-counsel, Bruce Godfrey, said he “was favorably impressed with the
professionalism of opposing counsel” for Timberlake and Fairfax County. He
declined to describe the financial terms of the settlement.
“We believe now, and believed while
filing, that our case was well-founded,” Godfrey said, referring to his
co-counsel Thomas Hennessy. “We think the case is worthy of study, on the
doctrine of qualified immunity, which is one of significant public policy
interest.”
Qualified immunity, based on U.S.
Supreme Court rulings, protects officers from lawsuits unless it can be shown
their actions violated “clearly established” rights a reasonable person should
know about.
In earlier filings, Bardot told the
judge the parties had reached agreement on April 27 “to resolve this case fully
and finally,” subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors, who met in
closed session on May 10, with outside counsel, Jim Guynn.
Bardot wrote Guynn had extended the
settlement offer, after meeting privately with the Board “to discuss the case
and obtain direction and settlement authority.”
On May 10, Bardot updated the court
that the case had been settled and asked that Timberlake’s civil trial, which
was scheduled to begin May 16, be removed from the court’s docket.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff
McKay said there will be no liability admitted by either party in connection
with the case. He declined to specify how much the county paid in the
settlement.
“Moving forward, I have full faith in
Chief [Kevin] Davis and the Fairfax County Police Department to continue making
progress on important issues such as use of force, de-escalation,
communication, community outreach and building trust,” McKay told WTOP, in a
statement. “Fairfax County is the safest jurisdiction of its size in the U.S.
and that is due to our police department and our community working together to
achieve this.”
Suit Moves Forward Alleging Fairfax County Officers Protected Sex Traffickers
A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit against two former police officers accused of protecting a sex trafficking ring in Northern Virginia in exchange for sex can move forward
By Matthew Bakarat • Published May 12, 2022 •
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a lawsuit against two former police officers accused of protecting a sex trafficking ring in Northern Virginia in exchange for sex can move forward.
The former Fairfax County officers, Michael O. Barbazette of Manassas and Jason J. Mardocco of Gainesville, had asked a judge at a hearing Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria to have the case tossed out.
In a ruling issued Wednesday, Judge Anthony Trenga rejected the motion to dismiss. He did toss out some counts on technical issues but is allowing the plaintiff to file an amended complaint that will comply with the technical failings and allows the substantive accusations to move forward intact.
The lawsuit is filed on behalf of a Costa Rican woman identified in court papers only as Jane Doe. She alleges she was duped into coming to the U.S. in 2010 on the promise of work as a "social escort." When she arrived in the U.S., though, her traffickers took her passport and forced her into prostitution for several years.
When she was finally able to escape in 2015, she reported her traffickers to the FBI. She says in the lawsuit she did not go to Fairfax County Police because she was warned by other women that Fairfax County police were protecting the traffickers.
Hazel Sanchez Cerdas pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria to running the prostitution ring and she was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in 2019. Prosecutors in that case said women in Sanchez's operation were required to have sex with up to 17 customers a day and instructed to comply with requests even for particularly humiliating or dangerous sex acts.
At Friday's hearing, lawyers for the accused officers said the complaint was thin on substantiating details and should be dismissed.
Jane Doe's lawyer, Vic Glasberg, acknowledged he still needs to ferret out more details but said there is substantial evidence already to support Doe's claims.
One of the officer's phone numbers was found on a cellphone linked to the trafficking ring, the lawsuit states.
The woman's claims were investigated by the FBI and sent over to the Fairfax County police's Public Corruption unit. After that occurred, the officers resigned.
The lawsuit also includes allegations from a former Fairfax County detective, William Woolf, who was assigned to a federally funded trafficking task force. Woolf alleges in the complaint that Barbazette, his supervisor, took an unusual interest in his work and tried to hamper his investigations.
Ultimately, the lawsuit alleges that Barbazette and Mardocco would tip off Sanchez when police would conduct sex trafficking stings so she could steer clear of them, in exchange for sex.
"There's a whole boatload of evidence to suggest there's something rotten in the state of Denmark," Glasberg said at Friday's hearing.
The lawyer for Barbazette and Mardocco acknowledged the fact that the officers were asked to resign "looks bad, but it doesn't go to show there's some conspiracy here. It doesn't carry the weight the plaintiff suggests it does."
The lawsuit also accuses supervisors in the Fairfax County Police Department, including then-Chief Ed Roessler, of covering up the officers' misdeeds. The lawyer for Roessler and the other supervisory defendants declined comment after Friday's hearing.
Once again, the point isn't in changing policy, its not hiring punk....and where did the last police chief go and why?
Fairfax citizens’ panel agrees with suggestions to reform police use of force policies
Megan Cloherty
A group of volunteers who served on a
community panel to analyze how police
use force in Fairfax County, Virginia, said it agrees that changes need to be
made in how officers are trained and data is collected by the department.
In looking at a study by the University of Texas at San Antonio on Fairfax County’s use of force between June 2016 and December 2018, Yolonda Earl-Thompson of the Use of Force Advisory Committee told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors that the committee agrees with suggested changes.
“Without cultural change, internally and externally, policy change will not make meaningful and impactful improvements for a safer community and a safer Fairfax,” Earl-Thompson said.
Along with documenting when force is used, the panel said the department should collect data on its de-escalation techniques and educate officers on county history with a focus on generational trauma.
“One of our overarching recommendations is to ensure that the changes are rooted and guided by trauma-informed perspectives that grants a higher value on lived experiences of communities of color, youth, residents with behavioral and substance abuse dependencies, immigrants and undocumented persons,” Earl-Thompson said in her presentation on March 1.
“These are the people most impacted by the use of force and the contact with law enforcement.”
Those residents must be kept top of mind in retraining officers and changing the way the department collects use of force data, the committee found. It also recommended tracking instances where deadly force was authorized to reduce the risk of selection bias.
The study analyzed 1,360 use-of-force cases from January 2016 to December 2018 and found that 42% of cases involved Black individuals, compared to 38% for white people, and Black people were 1.8 times more likely to have a weapon pointed at them by police.
The study was released in June and given to the panel of volunteers to analyze.
Following the committee’s presentation, Police Chief Kevin Davis informed the Board of Supervisors that the department has adopted a new ICAT (integrating communications, assessment and tactics) training guide recommended by the study and will begin to retrain officers next month.
He also told the board that officers will train with non-lethal tools, such as BolaWraps, which can restrain suspects with minimum force.
Sex trafficking and the Fairfax County Police
From Greenscreenvideo
"I've
been talking about how the Fairfax County Police Department and they are this
department are very corrupt months ago I was wrongfully arrested for making
tick talks about an Arlington county police officer's girlfriend group that
talked about violence against me stop just to recap 8 months ago I was
wrongfully arrested for making tick talks about an Arlington county police
officers girlfriend was part of a group that talked about violence against me
and bully stopped and harassed me after filing police report through the
Arlington county Police Department the officers girlfriend went to the Fairfax
County Police Department and had an emergency protective order filed against me
this for speaking out about it on tiktok they sent four police officers to my
house at 4:00 AM then she had another EP oh filed against me through the
Arlington county Police Department where her boyfriend works knowing that I
hadn't done anything wrong because I never even said the woman's name I filmed
myself getting served the protective order and I got arrested both the Fairfax
County Police Department and the Arlington county Police Department help
protect this group of violent people and try to make it nearly impossible for
me to speak out about it so this doesn't surprise me at all a judge ruled in
court that there was absolutely zero basis for either protective orders filed
against me and my charges were dropped and neither of the two night shift
magistrates that filed off on these protective orders have been held
accountable either have any of the Arlington county police officers who
arrested me this group of people continued to harass me till this day and the
police told me that they're not gonna do anything about it both of these police
departments should be under investigation immediately after having my
experience and seeing this I wonder what else they're hiding"
What
she's talking about are Virginia cops
getting sex from traffic minors in exchange for protection and honestly by the
grace of God she's lucky she just got arrested because as it turns out the
trafficking ring went all the way as high as the police chief you see most of
us are finding out about this case because of a recent lawsuit for more of the
victims at the time she was twenty and she got trafficked from Costa Rica to
Virginia under false pretenses but the lawsuit is actually taking information
from this detective above me his name is bill wolf who was the only detective
working the sex trafficking cases in Fairfax County at the time until he was
arrested by all of his fellow officers and had his life and his children lives
threatened bill eventually left the Police Department in 2017 to join the
national human trafficking intelligence center and work for the United States
government but wait I know what you're thinking why does Jane doe have to file
a lawsuit if there's so much evidence against so many cops so what had happened
was the FBI started investigating the leader of the sex trafficking ring a
couple years later they found more evidence of police wrongdoing and turned it
over to IA I stands for internal affairs of which they did absolutely nothing
instead the police chief along with other high ranking lieutenants just quietly
quit and got to keep their pensions
The police union is warning more officers will leave following Fairfax County’s proposed budget, which doesn’t include the pay bumps police were pushing for.
Well, now we know what the community thinks of the police department so don’t let the door hit on the ass on the way out. You WILL NOT be missed.
I think defunding police is wrong, except here. If ever there was a police department that needs the air taken out of it, it's these punks.
So the punk cop says to me "Go ahead, say one more fucking thing" and I thought "No, there's no damage in that, my pen and I will wait. That's where the real damage comes into play"
Fairfax County Police union say the Fairfax County Police Department is short 160 police officers!
I'll take a bow for that.
So the punk cop says to me "Go ahead, say one more fucking thing" and I thought "No, there's no damage in that, my pen and I will wait. That's where the real damage comes into play"
Young people, if you're considering working for the Fairfax County Police, consider this.
Fairfax County police are investigating the deaths
of a department recruit and his wife and have launched an internal affairs
investigation to determine whether officers who responded to the incident
handled it properly, authorities said Sunday.
Basically one of the Fairfax County Police super recruits probably killed himself and his wife.
Do you really think you want to work in an environment
like that?
So the punk cop says to me "Go ahead, say one more fucking thing" and I thought "No, there's no damage in that, my pen and I will wait. That's where the real damage comes into play"
I am amazed, really just amazed, they didn't get to keep their jobs. Im not joking
Court upholds firing of LAPD
officers who played Pokémon Go during holdup
A California appellate court has
ruled that two Los Angeles police officers were properly fired for playing
Pokémon Go instead of responding to a robbery.
The court ruled on Friday that
the LAPD was justified in firing Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell for misconduct
in 2017, the Sacramento Bee reported Monday.
On April 15, 2017, a video system
in their patrol car captured the officers discussing how to catch a Snorlax and
trying to capture the rare Togetic in the game while ignoring a report of
several people who were in the process of robbing a Macy’s in the Crenshaw
area, according to the ruling.
A police captain who arrived at
the scene saw another patrol car parked nearby and wondered why the officers
hadn’t responded and answered it himself, court documents said.
The officers claimed they hadn’t
heard the radio request for backup but on the patrol car recordings, they were
heard discussing whether to respond and Lozano could be heard saying, "Ah,
screw it," according to the court filings.
The officers are then heard for
the next 20 minutes discussing the GPS-based Pokémon augmented reality
cellphone game and driving to various locations to "capture" virtual
creatures, the filings said.
They were fired after a police
board of rights unanimously ruled that the two officers committed misconduct that
was "unprofessional and embarrassing" and violated the public’s
trust.
The officers asked a court to
overturn their firings, arguing among other things that the recordings of their
private conversations were improperly used as evidence but the Superior Court
judge denied their petition. The appeals court upheld that decision.
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