State AG launches investigation of racist, homophobic texts by Torrance police officers

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta launched an autarkic probe Wednesday into the Torrance Police Department aft grounds emerged that officers were sharing racist and homophobic texts successful which they joked astir enslaved lynchings, LGBTQ beatings and constabulary shootings of Black men.

Thus far, 13 officers person been placed connected administrative permission arsenic an outgrowth of investigations into the violative texts.

Bonta said his probe comes astatine the petition of Torrance Police Chief Jeremiah Hart and is aimed astatine uncovering immoderate systemic failures amid allegations of excessive force, racist substance messages and different discriminatory misconduct. Bonta and Hart are hoping to found champion practices and rebuild spot betwixt the Police Department and the community.

“Our communities passim the authorities of California merit to cognize they volition get adjacent justness nether the law,” Bonta said successful an interrogation with the Southern California News Group connected Wednesday, Dec. 8.

“The archetypal clip I heard astir the contents (of the texts) I was precise disturbed. It was painful,” Bonta said. “Changes request to beryllium made successful the Torrance Police Department.”

Move to suppress texts

Meanwhile, attorneys for 2 erstwhile officers are scheduled to spell to tribunal successful Torrance connected Monday to inquire a justice to artifact the texts from being utilized arsenic evidence, which would halt immoderate any enactment based connected those missives. A tribunal question contends the texts were obtained done an illegal, overly wide hunt warrant that violated California’s integer privateness law.

The motion, obtained by Southern California News Group, covers the cellphone seized successful 2020 from erstwhile Officer Cory Weldin. He and ex-Officer Christopher Tomsic were charged successful August with spray-painting a swastika connected a conveyance impounded from a theft suspect. The papers contends a non-peace serviceman was retained by constabulary to behaviour different hunt of the phone, and the contents — including the violative texts — were distributed to unauthorized individuals, some alleged violations.

“The sweeping accusation extracted from the hunt warrant threatens the privateness protections promised to each Californians,” said the question by Rancho Cucamonga lawyer Thomas Yu. He and Tomsic’s attorney, Lisa Houle, are asking the texts beryllium suppressed and destroyed.

The authorities lawyer general’s announcement came hours aft the work of a Los Angeles Times probe that showed officers sending texts specified arsenic 1 depicting a representation of a candy cane, a Christmas histrion ornament, a prima for the treetop and an “enslaved person.” The caption said which 1 doesn’t belong? The texted answer: you don’t bent a star, the Times wrote.

According to the Times, the officers besides texted astir gassing Jewish radical and beating members of the LGBTQ community.

Torrance main cooperates

Bonta said specified behaviour would not beryllium tolerated from police.

“Police departments are connected the beforehand lines of that combat each time arsenic they enactment to support the radical of our state. However, wherever determination is grounds of perchance pervasive bias oregon discrimination, it tin undermine the spot that is captious for nationalist information and our justness system,” Bonta wrote. “I applaud … Hart for being consenting to prosecute with my bureau to tackle these concerns head-on.”

Hart added, “As constabulary main of the Torrance Police Department, I americium committed to accountability, and I volition not tolerate immoderate signifier of bigotry, racism, hate, oregon misconduct.”

Initially, the authorities reappraisal volition beryllium conducted by the California Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Enforcement Section with the assistance of DOJ’s Division of Law Enforcement. Anyone with accusation is asked to interaction the enforcement conception astatine Police-Practices@doj.ca.gov.

Others officers identified by the Times and confirmed by a root adjacent to the probe are Blake Williams, Brian Kawamoto, Joshua Satterfield, Omar Alonso, Christopher Allen-Young and Long Beach constabulary Officer Maxwell Schroeder. Another estimated 18 Torrance officers received the texts but didn’t respond, the root said.

90 cases dismissed

Mark Pongleak, a spokesperson for the Police Department, confirmed Wednesday that the Torrance City Attorney’s Office has dismissed astir 50 misdemeanor cases “due to the unavailability of officers who are presently connected administrative leave” successful the substance case. The District Attorney’s Office has dismissed astir 40 cases, according to a spokesperson for the office.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon , during a quality league Wednesday to tout his first-year accomplishments, said helium learned astir the texts successful July portion investigating the 2 erstwhile Torrance officers who allegedly painted the swastika.

“When this lawsuit involving (the swastika) was brought to my attention, my archetypal reaction, arsenic it is today, generally, radical bash not prosecute successful this benignant of behaviour without having a transportation (to different incidents),” said Gascon who served arsenic territory lawyer successful San Francisco earlier ousting incumbent Jackie Lacey successful Los Angeles.

”I faced akin situations successful San Francisco, I had a implicit roadblock from the main of constabulary astatine the time. I recovered the main of constabulary successful Torrance wanted to bash the close thing. … There is nary spot for racism oregon homophobic behaviour by members of government, particularly instrumentality enforcement. It’s not becoming of a constabulary officer.”

Staff Writer Scott Schwebke contributed to this article.

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