DA Charges 3 LAPD Cops w/Manufacturing Evidence & Reports to Identify People as Gang Members. They falsified interviews, noted tattoos that didn't exist, made up names on reports & forged docs

From [HERE] Three Los Angeles police officers face charges of falsifying police reports to claim that people they pulled over during traffic stops had gang allegiance or some affiliation.

The LA County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges Friday. Black strawboss DA Jackie Lacey is presently in the midst of a competitive election and this case may be a placebo to quiet her angry critics. Black Lives Matter leaders and the ACLU criticize Ms. Lacey’s record of failing to charge any cops in hundreds of deadly police shooting. According to the D.A.’s office, police in L.A. County have shot and killed 342 people during her tenure - none were charged. Ms. Lacey, an African-American who has been in office since 2012, will face fellow Democrat George Gascón, a former San Francisco police chief and district attorney, in the November election. A poll released by Mr. Gascon’s campaign Thursday showed the two statistically tied, with him at 35% and Ms. Lacey at 32%, a difference that is within the survey’s margin of error. 33% of respondents were undecided. Adam Schiff, a Democratic congressman from Los Angeles, pulled his endorsement of Ms. Lacey in late June, saying on Twitter, “We have a responsibility to make profound changes to end systemic racism & reform criminal justice.” [MORE] and [MORE]

In a 59-charge criminal complaint, prosecutors say Metro Division officers Braxton Shaw, Michael Coblentz and Nicolas Martinez misidentified people as gang members, falsified interviews, noted tattoos that did not exist and made up names on field reports.

Prosecutors say the men also forged documents to say that the people who were interviewed by the officers admitted to being part of a gang even though their body cameras proved otherwise.

Shaw is accused of falsifying 43 reports, Coblentz is accused of falsifying 7 and Martinez falsified 2 reports according to the DA’s office.

The case remains under investigation according to the DA’s office.

Each officer faces prison time if convicted with over 30 years for Shaw, 7 years for Coblentz and 4 years for Martinez.

The charges against the officers originated from a misconduct investigation by the LAPD’s Internal Affairs department and overseen by the Office of the Inspector General.

According to the LAPD, 21 additional officers remain under investigation as part of a probe into officers falsifying their field interview cards with 10 officers assigned to home duty, 8 on administrative duty, 5 who are still in the field and one who has retired.

As part of recent reforms within the department, the LAPD said they would stop using a controversial statewide gang database.

In a statement LAPD Chief Michel Moore said, “Public trust is the bedrock of community policing and these allegations shake that foundation.  The actions of these few tarnish the badge we all wear.  The department is committed to continuing this comprehensive investigation in our effort to restore the confidence of the people we protect and serve.”