A Los Angeles Superior Court jury found that the LA Police Department retaliated against four officers who attempted to raise concerns about unsafe working conditions at a firearms training facility.
As part of its verdict, the jury awarded the four approximately $15 million, according to Matthew McNicholas, the officers’ lead attorney.
“These officers bravely spoke up not only for their rights, but also for the safety of the public and their fellow officers. In turn, they faced severe retaliation simply because they reported misconduct and unsafe working conditions,” McNicholas said in a news release.
An LAPD spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Attorneys for the four officers – Craig Burns, Alex Chan, Mark Hogan and Christine Salazar – said each officer brought nearly two decades of experience and a strong reputation to their respective roles: Salazar and Hogan were senior firearms instructors, and Burns and Chan were experienced armorers whose job was to maintain, repair and issue firearms and tactical equipment.
The civil lawsuit was brought six years ago after claims were filed against the city of Los Angeles and the LAPD in September 2019.
The lawsuit stems from a series of safety concerns raised in 2018 by officers at the LAPD Edward M. Davis Training Facility in Granada Hills, where they all worked.
According to the lawsuit, the issues they reported included staffing shortages that led to police recruitment being conducted without adequate firearms training, and unsafe training protocols and working conditions. Those concerns were ignored, lawyers said.
“Instead, in 2019, following their protected whistleblower activity, the Department initiated an internal affairs investigation and imposed a series of adverse employment actions against all four officers, including demotion, removal from special duties, and involuntary transfer,” the lawyers said. “In Salazar’s case, the department falsely accused him of participating in the ‘blue flu’ after he took sick days due to legitimate illness.”
Blue flu occurs when large numbers of police officers take sick leave in protest.
“This verdict exposes a culture of retaliation designed to silence officers who report misconduct, and it sends a powerful message that those who abuse authority will be held accountable,” McNicholas said.
