Lawsuit Filed: Officer Alleges Retaliation for Refusing to Comply with LAPD’s Illegal Gang-Labeling Quotas – Los Angeles Times Interviews Matthew McNicholas
McNicholas & McNicholas filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department on behalf of Samantha Fiedler, an officer who was retaliated against for refusing to comply with the elite Metropolitan Division’s illegal quota system, which rewarded officers who arrested alleged gang members and punished those who didn’t. The Los Angeles Times interviewed Partner Matthew McNicholas, who explained that Fiedler had a promotion cancelled and was then demoted, all of which Plaintiff believes was done to “send a message” to other Metro members to keep quiet
The allegations echo others in recent months about commanders in the elite unit using quotas to rack up arrests and suppress gang activity, and come amid a growing scandal around the unit’s use of field interview cards as a means of identifying gang affiliates. McNicholas represents other officers who experienced similar demotions and retaliation, which means more lawsuits against the City and the LAPD are coming.
The lawsuit claims that problems in Metro go back to 2015, when then-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck transferred hundreds of officers into the division without providing what Fiedler felt was adequate training, and commanders started demanding the team produce guns and gang arrests.
Read the article here.
With more than 25 years’ experience as a trial lawyer, Partner Patrick McNicholas exclusively represents victims in personal injury, product liability, sexual assault and other consumer-oriented matters, such as civil rights, aviation disasters and class actions. Learn more about his professional background here.