officers - The Black Vault

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TJUe, KING SUSPECT IN ROBBERIES
CLERK SHOT
Character:
or
Classification:
CIVIL RIGHTS
80-3 3 B
Submitting Office:
. LOS ANGELES
By Howard S. Gantman
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
As embattled Los Angeles
Police Chief Daryl Gates laid
out a plan designed to restore
confidence in the LAPD, police
and prosecutors called f?r an
investigation of Rodney Kmg as
a suspect in an armed robbery
that occurred 10 days before his
videotaped beating by police,
officials said.
King has been identified as a
suspect in the Feb. 21 holdup of
a Sun Valley video store in
which a store clerk was shot
and wounded, Los Angeles Police
Department officials said
Wednesday.
Police said King's "p.ame
came up" on Tuesday during an
investigation of the robbery,
but refused to say how he was
identified as a suspect.
Los Angeles police Cmdr.
Rick Dinse, who is heading the
"·department's investigation of
the King beating, said .that he
contacted the California at.tor­
.. ney general's office on Wednesday
and asked them to take
over the robbery investigation:
On Wednesday, Gates announced
a 10-point plan designed
to bolster public confidence
in his department and
decrease incidents · of police
brutality.
Gates said a key part of his
proposal is the establishment of
an independent panel to study
the department's training J?~Ocedures
regarding the use·. of
force, examine previous abuse
complaints and recommend improvements.
I • But M~yor
Tom Bradley,
. who has repeatedly suggested
that Gates' resignation would
speed the "healing· process" in
Los Angeles, said the new proposal
was too little and too late.
"It seems to me that these
are things that were called for a
long time ago; why they have
not b~en done I don't know,"
Bradley said. He said -he plans
to announce his own blueribbon
panel next week and
suggested his would have much
greater authority in reviewing
problems in the 8,300-member
force.... -·-· . _
Gates said retired California
Supreme Court Justice John
Arguelles would chair the panel,
which would include James
Zumberge, retiring USC president.
Arguelles would also
name three other members
from a cross-section of the community.
In an interview, Gates said he
had first asked Gov. Pete Wilson
to name a statewide commission
to investigate training
procedures and the excessive
·use c;>f force by law enforcement
fficers throughout California.
But he said Wilson believed it
should remain a local matter.
_ James Lee, a spokesman for
Wilson, concurred with Gates'
assessment, noting that "the
chief asked about the commission"
but the governor concluded
"it was a local intervention
issue and it ought to be dealt
with on that leve~ first."
APR 3 1991
announcement received
a lukewarm reception
from acting Police Commission
President Melanie Lomax, one
of the chief's harshest critics.
"It doesn't really address the
very deep-seated doubts and
suspicions about his leadership
and in particular whether or
not he has established or set
the negative hostile tone and
philosophy in terms of the department,"
Lomax said.
Recall may proceed
In a related development,
City Attorney James Hahn issued
a formal legal opinion that
a little-known section of the
city Charter allows the recall
for general managers.
Hahn's ruling cleared the way
for a recall Gates drive set up
by City Council candidate Kerman
Maddox and a group of
community activists.
Maddox needs about 57,000
signatures within four months
pf the official start of the recall.
·Once the signatures are certified
by the city clerk, the council
would be required to hold a
special election within 90 days.
Also, an attorney for Rodney
King, whose beating by at least
three police officers as 22 others
watched sparked a national outcry,
'has filed an $83 million
claim against the city on behalf
of King.·
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