Crime & Safety

LAPD Officers Cleared on Perjury Charges Related to Highland Park DUI Arrest

Officers Craig Allen and Phil Walters were cleared in court, but there's no promise they'll get their jobs at LAPD back.

Two LAPD Officers were cleared on charges that they falsified the report of a drunk driving arrest that took place in 2010 in Highland Park, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. 

According to the Daily News, Craig Allen and Phil Walters were acquitted on charges of perjury and knowingly submitting a false police report, both are felonies.

KPCC reported on the first day of the trial that the case came down to whether or not Allen and Walters willfully lied about witnessing two motorists drive through stop signs on Avenue 52 before pulling over Dana Tarcatu, who was that night charged with drunk driving. Tacatu was eventualy cleared of drunk driving charges.

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It was revealed through testimony that motocycle officer Cecillo Flores actually witnessed the drivers blowing through stop signs, and called Allen, 40, and Walters, 58, to the scene so they could book the arrest and boost their stats.

However, the police report submitted by Allen and Walters told another story. The asserted that they had been there the whole time. Allen doubled down on his assertion when Tacatu's case went to trial; he told the court that he had witnessed the motorist ignoring stop signs despite being presented with documents that showed otherwise. Only when he was played an audio tape that recounted the night's events did he testify that his "memory was off," the Daily News reports.

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KPCC reported that the attorneys for Allen and Walters argued that there was no malicious intent in their clients' actions.

From KPCC:

“There was no motive,” [Allen's defense attorny Bill] Seki said. “There was nothing to gain.”

In his opening statement, Seki said Allen simply made a mistake on the written report and relied on that report six months later when he was called to testify about the arrest.

Attorney Joel Isaacson, who represents Walters, built on that during his opening statement.

Isaacson said Walters filled out a small portion of the police report and never saw the completed paperwork before he was sent home because his partner was going to finish writing it. 

“If there is no reason to lie, it’s a mistake,” Isaacson said. “An honest, human mistake.”

[Click here to read KPCC's Full Story]

Though both men were acquitted, their future with LAPD is unclear. Both men were placed on administrative leave and Allen was eventually fired following an internal investigation, according to the Southwest Riverside News Network.

In July of 2012, Chief Charlie Beck released a statement saying he was "saddened" by the charges, but did not believe the officers' "intent was evil."

"I am truly saddened by the events that led to the perjury charges pending against two of my officers," Beck said. “I do not believe that their intent was evil, just extremely misguided. The character of our organization is defined by the conduct that we condone. These actions were entirely unacceptable."

According to the Daily News, Walters could still faces a departmental trial, where he could be cleared, punished or fired.


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