A Los Angeles County sheriff’s commander is suing the county, alleging he was wrongfully reassigned to a less prestigious position after questioning why deputies involved in a 2021 incident in which nearly 70 shots were fired during service of a search warrant were not disciplined.
Cmdr. William E. Jaeger‘s Los Angeles Superior Court retaliation suit seeks unspecified damages. An LASD representative said the department may have a comment later.
Jaeger was hired in November 1990, was promoted to captain in 2019 and to commander in April of this year, according to his lawsuit. As commander of the Professional Standards Division, Jaeger oversaw the Internal Affairs Bureau, the Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and the Advocacy Bureau. That same month, Jaeger began service on an executive force review committee tasked with reviewing the Internal Affairs Bureau investigation of a May 2021 incident involving a search warrant executed by the Operation Safe Street Gang Team of the detective division and also personnel from the District Attorney’s Office, the suit states.
The service of the warrant resulted in 69 rounds of fire and as part of the review, a panel consisting of three commanders, chaired by Jaeger, was assigned to make recommendations with respect to any corrective action and/or discipline deemed necessary for any LASD personnel found to have violated department policy, the suit states. During a hearing in April, LASD Chief Chris E. Marks of the detective division and Chief Jorge A. Valdez of the east patrol division repeatedly opined during the hearing that no discipline should be imposed on any of those involved in the shooting “despite clear issues with the tactics used on that day, the pre-planning of the search execution and the shooting itself,” Jaeger’s lawsuit states.
Marks and Valdez instead insisted that the personnel involved should only receive more training, according to the suit. In contrast, Jaeger said he believed that there may have been many LASD policy violations during the incident and that it preliminarily appeared that discipline should be imposed on the various participants, according to the suit. At the conclusion of the April hearing, the panel determined that the tactics used by various participants had been outside of LASD policy and merited suspension of a various number of days, including eight days for a lieutenant, according to the suit, which further states that Marks did not concur with any of the findings or discipline recommended.
Because the panel and the detective division chief were not in agreement, the next step according to LASD policy would have been for Sheriff Alex Villanueva to make a final decision as to the outcome, but instead the next day Assistant Sheriff Holly Francisco removed Jaeger from the committee, convened a new panel that still included the other commanders and scheduled a new hearing in May, the suit states.
Jaeger spoke to members of LASD management, including Undersheriff Timothy Murakami, telling him that the new hearing was against LASD policy and would discredit the department’s stated commitment to proper investigations and oversight of major uses of force, the suit states. Murakami initially told Jaeger that he understood, but later called the plaintiff into a meeting with an LASD chief and told the plaintiff he was being transferred to the Court Services Division, the suit states. The LASD chief told Jaeger he should have compromised on the discipline and “should not have aired the LASD’s dirty laundry in a public meeting in front of the Office of the Inspector General and counsel for the County of Los Angeles,” the suit states.
Jaeger told Murakami that reassigning him would send a “horrible message” to other members of the Professional Standards Division, making them afraid to stand up against “obvious wrongdoing,” the suit states. Jaeger also told Murakami and the LASD chief that the department was covering up the May 2021 shooting, according to the suit.
“Murakami responded by telling Commander Jaeger that he needed psychological help and should see a doctor,” the suit states.
The job transfer has “significantly tarnished Commander Jaeger’s stellar reputation and damaged his career,” the suit states.
Jaeger also has suffered severe emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, loss of self-esteem and depression, according to his lawsuit.
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Axel Anderson says
I appreciate your response and respect opposing opinions NoneBusiness. One small point … I used my real name and accept responsibility for expressing my opinions. You should do the same.
Tami Wellmann says
I know you may not consider this possible, but some people are afraid of retailiation.
It is probably easy for you to sit back and collect $14,227 .05 per month (2021) and say how proud you are about respecting other opinions and using your real name. Good for you. But there are many who have neither those resources nor a durable concealed carry permit nor the enforcement training that you have.
They are at a real big disadvantage when they self-dox by using their real name while expressing unpopular opinions. There is a small but real segment of deranged vicious law enforcement supporters who outright express eliminating liberals or dissenters as if they were hunting them. Some politicians ring that bell when they campaign.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/gop-senate-candidate-releases-rino-hunting-ad-aimed-fellow-republicans-rcna34388
and then lever that meme subtly, but inviting nutbars to “come a’ hunting”
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-goes-hog-163911707.html
So, Mr Retired Deputy, can you express how to reconcile that disadvantage? How do normal citizens compete or remain safe under those conditions?
LASD Veteran says
@NoneBusiness
Tough talk from a keyboard warrior living in his mother’s basement. Your comment proves Axel Anderson is 100% correct. The department is full of sniveling arrogant retaliatory executives who are clueless on leadership and NEVER earned their positions! We can start with the king of all idiots Alex V and his blindless follower Murkami along with two of his token mexicans, Valdez and Francisco.
George says
LOL…..the golden boy got a taste of his own medicine. Poor Mr. Jaeger didn’t get his way. I recall as a Sgt. and acting as the watch commander, he failed to recognize policy and failed to take appropriate action, likely so he could avoid embarrassment. In the long run, he was proven wrong (and not man enough to admit it) and they still promoted him. He’s a admin desk jockey, not a cop. I can’t deny, I LOVE the karma.
George says
I recall being at training with some LAPD kids and one of them telling me he failed the LASD written exam. So he applied to LAPD and they (obviously) hired him. He added that LASD was to academic for him.
Axel Anderson says
For many years, LASD enjoyed a strong reputation as an aggressive and effective law enforcement agency. I retired from LASD over 10 years ago so I can’t speak as an expert on the subject, but it appears to be degenerating at a rapid rate. The impression I get is that too many weak, unqualified, immature men and women have been promoted to important administrative positions in recent years. This is a sad state of affairs, as LASD has HUGE responsibilities in L.A. area public safety. It’s time for the Sheriff and his staff to carefully examine their organization and consider changing aspects of its “Department Culture.” A little more attention by command staff to important duties and responsibilities — a little less preening, sniveling, and arrogance, please.
NoneBusiness says
Stay retired Axel….please.
Peter S Pitch says
Its time for the 33 or so cities contracting with the department to form their own constabularies.
The county service should be a last resort, rather than the primary resource.
Tim Scott says
The issue there is that cities contracting law enforcement are generally contracting just about everything, so they are too lean to support an independent police force. Look at Palmdale for example.
Could we redirect what we pay the county into our own ‘police department budget’? Sure. It wouldn’t be enough, but it would be a start. With out own police department we would be eligible for federal police funding (while LA county would be eligible for less) and that would probably cover the gap. But that starts to illustrate the problem. Managing the paperwork to get that federal money is in itself at least one or two full time jobs that would have to be added to the city staff.
So we have a police department. Fifty employees per 10K population is a modest estimate, so we need to add 750 city employees. Currently the city employs I think about 300 people, so we have tripled everything. Human resources and administration are swamped until they get staffed up. Their offices probably aren’t big enough. Get more space, with maintenance.
Our city attorney is basically a part time position supervising a couple of clerks. A police department means kiss that goodby. Need a full time position just to oversee the multiple attorneys the lawsuits are going to require.
We can be sure that the new Palmdale PD won’t be foot patrolling. This probably increases the number of city vehicles by a factor of five, with attendant increase in maintenance staff.
Ultimately, even if we can draw enough federal money to “pay for” the police, the massive bloating of all other departments is a budget buster.
Cicero says
The time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.
If you look around at places that are good to live in, nearly all of them have their own public services.
Nobody knows if this is a cause or an effect, but correlation might be enough to give it a try.
Sheriffs still have authority because Palmdale does not suddenly become a venue beyond county jurisdiction, and they can assist or lead when necessary.
Cant Use My Real Name or Rex Will Fire Me says
Oh yeah. I remember you. You were the one who said when crime was going through the roof on burglaries that it was “an expected, but advantageous phenomenon. We are convicting criminals of crimes no one even initially reported.”
In all my years I had never heard such eloquent bull$h!t uttered to explain away the failures of a sitting mayor.
Well done.
E.T. says
@Mr Law Enforcement
BTW…I re-read your post above. Based on your sentence structure, I’m now positive you were an LAPD officer. Motor unit I suppose? They don’t write reports much, only tickets.
Stinger says
LOL
John Q Public says
LAPD officers have check off reports because they are too dumb to use proper grammar. They also are too stupid to make an arrest unless a supervisor approves it in the field…dummies…
E.T. says
@Mr Law Enforcement
Military I.Q.??? You sound like an idiot AND it’s obvious you didn’t serve in any military branch. You probably “worked” were assigned to an LAPD station since you call yourself “Mr Law Enforcement” but are insecure with the lack of work you did as a peace officer and feel the need to bash on military and deputy sheriff personnel.
Carlos says
Anytime I see a LASD vehicle it looks like it’s being driven by a gang banger.
Mr. Law Enforcement says
We must remember that LA County Deputies are not as able as the LAPD. Many deputies would have failed the LAPD academy. The military I.Q. of many of your deputies is only slightly higher then that of security guard. Hence deputies will have a tendency to overreact and hence bad shootings. Perhaps better training could have help. Remember LAPD was ranked is the most lethal department in the USA based on a gun battles won ratio and justified shootings. Contrast that to the many questionable shootings by LACSD.
Tim Scott says
Well, the LAPD did kick an entire generation of rejects into the LACSD and other departments, so that lowers expectations. That’s one of the biggest challenges in reforming law enforcement; any action, no matter how horrific or criminal, is met with “so you need to resign quietly and we’ll seal your record and recommend you when you apply to another department.”