Bloody Christmas
Encyclopedia
Bloody Christmas was the name given to the severe beating
of seven men by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department
on December 25, 1951. The attacks, which left five Latino
and two White
young men with broken bones and ruptured organs, was only properly investigated after lobbying from the Mexican American
community. The internal inquiry by Los Angeles
Chief of Police
William H. Parker resulted in eight police officers indicted for the assaults, a further 54 were transferred and 39 were suspended.
The event was fictionalized in the 1990 novel LA Confidential by James Ellroy
, which was made into a film of the same name in 1997.
In 1938 reforms of the LAPD were started by Mayor Frank Shaw
. Throughout the 1940s, this led to corrupt officers being fired, the raising of entrance standards, the creation of rigorous training programs, better pay for officers, and the modernization of equipment and administrative procedures.
After William H. Parker was appointed Chief of Police in 1950, reforms continued with improving policing in Los Angeles by placing emphasis on police professionalism. Parker believed better personnel would lead to more "police autonomy" allowing the LAPD to focus on its "war-on-crime approach" to policing and for dealing with its own internal discipline. Proponents believed a professional police department should be free from political influence and control.
Police autonomy was already guaranteed in Section 202 of the Los Angeles
city charter since 1934. It stated that officers had a vested right to their jobs and could not be removed or disciplined without due process, which meant that authority regarding departmental discipline belonged to a board of review made of police officers.
Despite the reforms, the LA police department was faced with a continual deterioration in relations with the Mexican American
community that had been ongoing since the Second World War
. Despite previous police chiefs trying to improve relationships by quelling public fears of Mexican American crime, community leaders hoped the appointment of William H. Parker would really lead to an improvement in the situation. Problems occurred because most officers believed Mexican Americans were generally delinquent and violent. This racial profiling led to numerous violent encounters between the police and Mexican Americans because both sides expected the other to use force.
. On arrival they found Daniel Rodela, Elias Rodela, Jack Wilson, William Wilson, Raymond Marquez, Manuel Hernandez and Eddie Nora inside. Even though all the young men had IDs proving they were above the legal drinking age, the officers told them to leave. When they refused to go, the officers used force which led to a fight starting in the parking lot. Both police officers were injured; one received a black eye, the other got a cut that required stitches.
Seven hours after the fight, LAPD officers arrested all the men at their own homes. Six were taken straight to Los Angeles' Central City Jail. But the seventh, Daniel Rodela, was dragged to a squad car by his hair and driven to the city's Elysian Park where he was savagely beaten by several police officers. Rodela suffered multiple facial fractures, he required two blood transfusions due to the extent of his injuries.
The six prisoners were taken from their cells in the Central City Jail and lined up. As many as 50 officers then participated in a beating that lasted for 95 minutes. All the prisoners received major injuries including punctured organs and broken facial bones. At least 100 people knew or witnessed the beatings.
on the incident was “Officers Beaten in Bar Brawl; Seven Men Jailed”. However as the Mexican American community pushed for a focus on police brutality and more reports of violence flooded in, the media began to turn against the LAPD running stories condemning police tactics and even suggesting the amendment of Section 202 of the Los Angeles city charter.
In March 1952, six of the seven men were charged with battery
and disturbing the peace
. The prosecution argued that the fight started when the officers asked Jack Wilson to leave the bar peacefully.
The defendants testified that the fight began when Officer Trojanowski began hitting Wilson on the head with a blackjack
. Judge Joseph L. Call also allowed them to describe how they were beaten after being arrested. The jury found the defendants guilty of two counts of battery and one of disturbing the peace. However, after the verdict was delivered, Judge Call reprimanded the police force for its brutality, calling for an independent investigation of the assault on Christmas morning.
However, as the internal investigation into the beatings progressed, more complaints from other incidents were reported by the media, forcing Parker to act. Eventually a 204-page internal report was compiled by the LAPD. Although it included interviews with more than 400 witnesses, many members of LAPD had tried to impede the investigation by perjuring
themselves or giving vague testimony. The report was also contradictory because it revealed that several police officers witnessed the beatings but concluded that “none of the prisoners was physically abused in the manner alleged.”
hearings against the LAPD. Throughout the proceedings, the victims gave vivid accounts of their beatings whereas the officers’ testimonies were vague about crucial details. For example, none could remember seeing the prisoners being beaten but contradictorily none could remember who was taking part. Other officers who had previously given detailed information to internal affairs investigators could remember very little in court.
The hearings resulted in eight officers being indicted for assault. The grand jury also issued a report that criticized the LAPD's senior officers for issues that allowed the situation to get out of control and reminded the police department that it functioned “for the benefit of the public and not as a fraternal organization for the benefit of fellow officers.”
The eight indicted officers were tried between July and November 1952. Five of them were convicted, but only one received a sentence of more than a year in prison. A further 54 officers were transferred and 39 were temporarily suspended without pay.
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
of seven men by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
on December 25, 1951. The attacks, which left five Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
and two White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
young men with broken bones and ruptured organs, was only properly investigated after lobbying from the Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
community. The internal inquiry by Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Chief of Police
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
William H. Parker resulted in eight police officers indicted for the assaults, a further 54 were transferred and 39 were suspended.
The event was fictionalized in the 1990 novel LA Confidential by James Ellroy
James Ellroy
Lee Earle "James" Ellroy is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a so-called "telegraphic" prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, staccato sentences, and in particular for the novels The Black...
, which was made into a film of the same name in 1997.
Background
The Los Angeles Police Department had suffered from corruption since the beginning of the 20th century. Crooked officers allowed liquor, gambling, and prostitution operations to continue by accepting bribes. Police brutality and unlawful arrests were also common.In 1938 reforms of the LAPD were started by Mayor Frank Shaw
Frank L. Shaw
Frank L. Shaw was the first mayor of a major American city to be recalled from office, in 1938. He was also a member of the Los Angeles City Council and then the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors...
. Throughout the 1940s, this led to corrupt officers being fired, the raising of entrance standards, the creation of rigorous training programs, better pay for officers, and the modernization of equipment and administrative procedures.
After William H. Parker was appointed Chief of Police in 1950, reforms continued with improving policing in Los Angeles by placing emphasis on police professionalism. Parker believed better personnel would lead to more "police autonomy" allowing the LAPD to focus on its "war-on-crime approach" to policing and for dealing with its own internal discipline. Proponents believed a professional police department should be free from political influence and control.
Police autonomy was already guaranteed in Section 202 of the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
city charter since 1934. It stated that officers had a vested right to their jobs and could not be removed or disciplined without due process, which meant that authority regarding departmental discipline belonged to a board of review made of police officers.
Despite the reforms, the LA police department was faced with a continual deterioration in relations with the Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
community that had been ongoing since the Second World War
Zoot Suit Riots
The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of riots in 1943 during World War II that erupted in Los Angeles, California between white sailors and Marines stationed throughout thehi c mlc city and Latino youths, who were recognizable by the zoot suits they favored...
. Despite previous police chiefs trying to improve relationships by quelling public fears of Mexican American crime, community leaders hoped the appointment of William H. Parker would really lead to an improvement in the situation. Problems occurred because most officers believed Mexican Americans were generally delinquent and violent. This racial profiling led to numerous violent encounters between the police and Mexican Americans because both sides expected the other to use force.
Officers assaulted
On Christmas Eve 1951, LAPD officers, Julius Trojanowski and Nelson Brownson responded to a report that minors were drinking alcohol at the Showboat Bar on Riverside DriveRiverside Drive (Los Angeles, California)
Riverside Drive is a northeast-southwest road connecting the San Fernando Valley and Downtown Los Angeles, California. It follows the course of the Los Angeles River.-Overview:...
. On arrival they found Daniel Rodela, Elias Rodela, Jack Wilson, William Wilson, Raymond Marquez, Manuel Hernandez and Eddie Nora inside. Even though all the young men had IDs proving they were above the legal drinking age, the officers told them to leave. When they refused to go, the officers used force which led to a fight starting in the parking lot. Both police officers were injured; one received a black eye, the other got a cut that required stitches.
Seven hours after the fight, LAPD officers arrested all the men at their own homes. Six were taken straight to Los Angeles' Central City Jail. But the seventh, Daniel Rodela, was dragged to a squad car by his hair and driven to the city's Elysian Park where he was savagely beaten by several police officers. Rodela suffered multiple facial fractures, he required two blood transfusions due to the extent of his injuries.
Suspects beaten
On Christmas Day morning, a large number of police officers attending a departmental Christmas Party were getting drunk in violation of the LAPD's policy on alcohol. When they became aware of a rumor that Trojanowski had lost an eye in the fight, the drunken officers decided to avenge their fellow policeman.The six prisoners were taken from their cells in the Central City Jail and lined up. As many as 50 officers then participated in a beating that lasted for 95 minutes. All the prisoners received major injuries including punctured organs and broken facial bones. At least 100 people knew or witnessed the beatings.
Cover up
Initially senior LAPD management managed to keep the attack on the prisoners out of the mainstream news for almost three months. Media coverage ignored the beatings on Christmas Day and focused on the brawl the night before. The initial headline of the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
on the incident was “Officers Beaten in Bar Brawl; Seven Men Jailed”. However as the Mexican American community pushed for a focus on police brutality and more reports of violence flooded in, the media began to turn against the LAPD running stories condemning police tactics and even suggesting the amendment of Section 202 of the Los Angeles city charter.
In March 1952, six of the seven men were charged with battery
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
and disturbing the peace
Disturbing the Peace
Disturbing the Peace is the second studio album by Alcatrazz, and is the only one featuring Steve Vai on guitar. One of the singles, God Blessed Video, can be found on the fictional radio station, V-Rock, on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Weeks on Chart: 7, Peak: #133...
. The prosecution argued that the fight started when the officers asked Jack Wilson to leave the bar peacefully.
The defendants testified that the fight began when Officer Trojanowski began hitting Wilson on the head with a blackjack
Baton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
. Judge Joseph L. Call also allowed them to describe how they were beaten after being arrested. The jury found the defendants guilty of two counts of battery and one of disturbing the peace. However, after the verdict was delivered, Judge Call reprimanded the police force for its brutality, calling for an independent investigation of the assault on Christmas morning.
Internal investigation
Chief Parker’s response to this criticism was defensive. The police department's "war-on-crime" policy had given it an "Us versus Them" mentality meaning if the public did not support the police force, then it supported anarchy and lawlessness. Parker used this as a defense saying any criticism against the LAPD damaged the police’s ability to enforce the law. He even suggested that criminals were alleging police brutality in order to get him fired so the LA underworld could re-establish its illegal activities.However, as the internal investigation into the beatings progressed, more complaints from other incidents were reported by the media, forcing Parker to act. Eventually a 204-page internal report was compiled by the LAPD. Although it included interviews with more than 400 witnesses, many members of LAPD had tried to impede the investigation by perjuring
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
themselves or giving vague testimony. The report was also contradictory because it revealed that several police officers witnessed the beatings but concluded that “none of the prisoners was physically abused in the manner alleged.”
Criminal indictments
The report led to Grand JuryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
hearings against the LAPD. Throughout the proceedings, the victims gave vivid accounts of their beatings whereas the officers’ testimonies were vague about crucial details. For example, none could remember seeing the prisoners being beaten but contradictorily none could remember who was taking part. Other officers who had previously given detailed information to internal affairs investigators could remember very little in court.
The hearings resulted in eight officers being indicted for assault. The grand jury also issued a report that criticized the LAPD's senior officers for issues that allowed the situation to get out of control and reminded the police department that it functioned “for the benefit of the public and not as a fraternal organization for the benefit of fellow officers.”
The eight indicted officers were tried between July and November 1952. Five of them were convicted, but only one received a sentence of more than a year in prison. A further 54 officers were transferred and 39 were temporarily suspended without pay.