officers - The Black Vault

FD·35o (Rev. 5·8·81)
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(Indicate page, name of
newspaper, citY and state.)
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'Gates Put on
;L~ave, Pledges·
{Q Appeal · -·
Commission
. .· - -~-". . . . . ·,
·Acttori
· • King beating: Police
· chief says he has been '
disgraced. His lawyers will li
.. ask court on Monday to.
overturn decision.
By RICHARD A. SERRANO
TIMES STAFF WRITER
The Los Angeles Police Commission,
saying it was acting in the
· '"best interests of the Police Del
partment," temporarily relieved
Chief Daryl F. Gates of his duties
on Thursday ·until it completes a
wide-ranging investigation begun
in the aftermath of the beating of
Rodney G. King. . ·. :
In his place, the commission
appointed Assistant Chief Davi4J):
. :potson to serve .as acting chief, and
the 33-year police veteran imme:
.diately called upon.the 8,300 sw.orn
members of the tAPD "to put this ;
crisis behind us and get on with· •
what we do best, serving tbe
·people of this city.''
Gates emerged with his· attor-.
ney::? from an hourlong, closed:
. door commission meeting, vowing
. to fight on for his job. His lawyers
t said. they would take legal action
Monday in Los Angeles Superior
-court.
"I feel that I have been disgraced
· ~nd defamed," said the chief, biting
his lip. "I have done nothing
~ong. What they have done is
unproper and we're going to prove ·
{hat." -
'
But the commissioners said their
decision:-coJ!ling· two days after
Mayor Tom Bradley -called o:n
' Gates to resign--will hold up during
the next ·60 days; the time the
commission neec,l.s to .complete its
investigation. · · . ..,_
"The commission is ·confident.~'
· said Vice President Melanie ·Lb.:.
max, "that the action we have
taken is on sound legal gro~nds and .
that the-court will back us." ..
Also on Thursday: . .
. • Within minutes of Gates' departure,
·some City 'CQUnP.il members
decried the commission's ac-
. tion. A few; riotipg that their
constituents were 9lamor~ng . for.
Bradley's .resignation, said tqey
·1 • RELATED STORIES, ~.HOTOS, l
L A22-23, B2 • . .·
. may attempt to settle any Gate~
.lawsuit in order to reinstate him.
• At Parker Cente.r police head-
. quarter~. .many police officers
strung ·dark ribbons over their..
:badges, a tribute normally paid to
·officers killed in the line of duty.
Others talked about a possible job
slowdown. Emotions were so intense
that on~ police employee
. stormed into the ·commission's
· meeting 'room and shouted: "Does
. tqis mean you'r1:1 go!ng to get rid of
· everybody else in the department''t
.. • Throughol)t the city, commli~
nity groups, which have ralliet:'
both for and against Gates, reacted
·quickly. The ACJ_;U hailed the
commission's action, while Los Pi.n=
~ geles County 'Shepff ·Sherman
LOS ANGELES THiES
Da~:: FRI APRIL 5 1991
Ed1bon:
• '
Front Sect1on, Page 23
~: GATES PUT ON LEAVE,
PLEDGES TO APPEAL
COMMISSION ACTION
Character: CIVIL RIGHTS
or
Classification: 80-3 3 B
Submitting Office:
LOS ANGELES
Indexing:
SEARCHEO, _ _,• ..-- INDEXED ,., ·
SERIAUZEO. (b-z...fiLEO 1..... 7
APR 15 1991
FBI - LOS ANGELES }
1/)/V/
( :·Block called it ·outrageous. "Even
my wife broke down and cried
when Hold her," he said. · 1 l·
Jt was !\:day of unusual turmoil in
J!ity government, ·with pro-Gates
and pro-B_radley factions _planning
th~jr next inoves :in ,the highstakes
face-off. "
·When. Gates walked into the
~mmission meeting at mid-morning,
he appeared calm arid relaxed,
sometimes smiling at what lay
ahead. .
. When he left an, hour later, he
;:.appeared a little shaken, but all the
!· ~ore convinced that Bradley had
Ued to the public when he said in
recent weeks that he had no hidden
agenda to ou.St the chief. · ·
''"I must admit that I cannot
belieye him any longer," Gates said
of -the mayor. "I think this has all
been well-orchestrated.'' ·
G
ates! privately r_etained attorney,
Jay Grodin, said he
I planned to go to court. Monday to
~ overturn the leave of absence. But
the longtime Gates ally declined to
discuss his legal strategy, except to .
note that the commission failed to
cite a specific reason for its action.
· The lawyer said his client continues
to hold the .title of chief of .
police. But, Grodin said, Gates cannot
perform the official functions of
the chief and cannot even appear
Cl;t Parker Center in any official
capacity. . .. . .
"He can't come in here," Grodin
said, "exc;pt .f~r normal personal
matters, like If he wanted·to visit
someone."
-;Gates returned to his office ··
shortly before noon and .met ~th
FBIIDOJ