Two former police officers in Torrance, California, have been accused of vandalism after allegedly spray-painting swastikas on the cars they pushed in, the Los Angeles County District Attorney said Thursday. More than 12 other police officers were put on vacation after the investigation revealed that they shared a racist, homosexual, and anti-Semitic message. CBS Los Angeles reports.
“It’s unacceptable, but it’s doubly unacceptable if there are people who vow to protect all of us engaged in this action,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said at a news conference.
According to Gascon’s office, two former police officers, 29-year-old Christopher Tomsick and 28-year-old Cody Weldin, called about three men who allegedly stole emails on January 27, 2020. He was one of a group of police officers who responded. Apartment building.
Two police officers confiscated a vehicle that may have been used in the suspect’s crime. When the vehicle owner recovered it from the tow yard, he discovered that the passenger seat had a happy face spray-painted and the back seat had a swastika spray-painted.
According to Gascon’s office, both Tosmic and Weldin have been charged with one felony each for vandalism and conspiracy to commit vandalism. The district attorney said he was still considering whether the charges would reach the hate crime threshold, CBS Los Angeles reports. Police officers pleaded not guilty. Both left the department last year, the station reports.
Gascon said his office would consider hundreds of cases involving two police officers to ensure that no other alleged illegal activity had occurred. In a statement, Gascon said his office “promises to eradicate discrimination within law enforcement to maintain the integrity of the criminal law system.”
In a statement, Torrance police sergeant Mark Ponegarek said that when Torrance police learned of the allegations in 2020, officials there immediately began criminal investigations and suspended police officers. He said the criminal case was handed over to Gascon’s office in April 2020 and recommended to be prosecuted. Mr Ponegarek said the ministry is working with investigators and officers are no longer working there.
Source: Florida News Times
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