On November 19, 2020, officers Antonio Gomez and Carlos Quintanilla noticed a vehicle parked in a red zone outside a restaurant. When the car owner and his passenger returned from picking up a takeout order, the officers immediately handcuffed them. Following this, the officers conducted an illegal search of the vehicle, as well as unlawful searches of the individuals as well as a backpack.
Although the officers eventually released the subjects, they neglected to book the narcotics discovered in the car during their improper search. Additionally, Officer Gomez refused to disclose the identity of his partner before they drove away.
LAPD officer Antonie Gomez commits illegal search and failed to book narcotics
Officers Gomez received sustained complaints for their unlawful traffic stop, resulting in both him and his partner being suspended for two days. However, the disciplinary actions taken by the LAPD were inadequate due to the department’s failure to sustain the identified complaints.
I addressed this issue with the Internal Affairs Chief regarding the department’s incorrect adjudication of the officers’ refusal to identify themselves. Captain Shah, the head of Internal Affairs, acknowledged that the initial disposition was incorrect and should have been sustained. Unfortunately, due to the statute, the LAPD could not rectify the situation or impose additional disciplinary measures.
