Brian Liddy
Encyclopedia
Brian Liddy is a former officer of the Los Angeles Police Department
. Liddy, together with Sgt. Edward Ortiz and former Officer Michael Buchanan, were the first to be charged with criminal wrongdoing in the Rampart Scandal
. Liddy was both the highest-ranking and the most decorated LAPD officer to be directly implicated by Rafael Perez
, based upon his testimony and allegations. His acquittal and subsequent lawsuit (Liddy et al. v. City of Los Angeles et al. - 2:2008cv03089) led to questions of Perez's credibility.
for actions taken during a shoot-out during the Rodney King riots in 1992, while stationed at the 77th Street Division. In 1995, Liddy transferred to the Rampart Division
's CRASH
unit at the same time as Rafael Perez
, who would later implicate Sgt. Liddy and over 70 other officers in several instances of police misconduct.
testified that he, his partner and other officers (including Liddy) stationed in the Rampart
CRASH
unit had routinely framed gang members for crimes they did not commit. Perez made his allegations in exchange for leniency after he was caught stealing cocaine from a police evidence locker. However, the credibility of Perez has been undermined by his testimony in several internal affairs investigations in which three officers, including Liddy, accused of crimes or misconduct were found not guilty or the charges were dropped.
based on Perez's testimony. The criminal case against the Rampart officers revolved around a 1996 incident in which two reputed gang members were convicted of hitting Buchanan and Liddy with a pickup truck in an alley. Perez told authorities three years later that the officers made up the story to frame the pair. In a highly publicized trial in 2000, a Superior Court jury convicted the three officers of the charges, based on Perez's testimony. Afterward, however, Judge Jacqueline Connor vacated the verdicts, saying she had made a “fatal error” in not recognizing that jurors might have misread some "jargon" in the police report that unintentionally lent support to the claim that the officers had lied.
and the LAPD of using them as “scapegoats” to satisfy the media during the scandal involving the Rampart Division’s anti-gang unit, and that they were charged due to questionable testimony from Perez and other witnesses.
In his lawsuit, Liddy alleged that a disciplinary board criticized internal affairs investigators for giving questionable facts to witnesses with criminal backgrounds who testified against the officers. The LAPD Board of Rights' official report stated the witnesses’ recollections were “potentially tainted by the interview process and raised serious questions regarding their credibility,” according to the lawsuit. The board unanimously overruled discipline for Liddy, his lawsuit states. Disciplinary proceedings against Ortiz were pending. The three plaintiffs also accused the department of concealing from the district attorney’s office the names of witnesses who could have corroborated defense claims that Perez lied in his testimony about the officers.
A civil jury awarded Liddy over five million dollars for violation of his civil rights in 2006. In January 2009, Liddy and the other two officers settled with the city on two other cases that alleged wrongful termination, and violation of civil rights. Liddy medically retired from the police department in 2006.
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...
. Liddy, together with Sgt. Edward Ortiz and former Officer Michael Buchanan, were the first to be charged with criminal wrongdoing in the Rampart Scandal
Rampart Scandal
The Rampart scandal refers to widespread corruption in the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums anti-gang unit of the Los Angeles Police Department Rampart Division in the late 1990s. More than 70 police officers in the CRASH unit were implicated in misconduct, making it one of the most...
. Liddy was both the highest-ranking and the most decorated LAPD officer to be directly implicated by Rafael Perez
Rafael Pérez (police officer)
Rafael Antonio "Ray" Pérez , is a former Los Angeles Police Department C.R.A.S.H officer and the central figure in the LAPD Rampart Scandal. He was involved in the coverup of a $722,000 bank robbery, shot and framed Javier Ovando, and stole and resold at least $800,000 of cocaine from LAPD...
, based upon his testimony and allegations. His acquittal and subsequent lawsuit (Liddy et al. v. City of Los Angeles et al. - 2:2008cv03089) led to questions of Perez's credibility.
Early career
In 1993, almost three years after joining the force in 1990, Liddy was awarded the department's Medal of ValorLos Angeles Police Medal of Valor
The Los Angeles Police Department Medal of Valor is the highest law enforcement medal given by the Los Angeles Police Department.The Medal of Valor is an award for bravery, usually given for individual acts of extraordinary bravery or heroism performed in the line of duty at extreme,...
for actions taken during a shoot-out during the Rodney King riots in 1992, while stationed at the 77th Street Division. In 1995, Liddy transferred to the Rampart Division
LAPD Rampart Division
The Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department serves communities to the west and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles including Echo Park, Pico-Union and Westlake, all together designated as the Rampart patrol area. Its name is derived from Rampart Boulevard, one of the principal...
's CRASH
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums, usually known by the acronym C.R.A.S.H., was an elite, but controversial special operations unit of the Los Angeles Police Department. It was established by then-chief Daryl Gates to combat the rising problem of gangs in Los Angeles, California...
unit at the same time as Rafael Perez
Rafael Pérez (police officer)
Rafael Antonio "Ray" Pérez , is a former Los Angeles Police Department C.R.A.S.H officer and the central figure in the LAPD Rampart Scandal. He was involved in the coverup of a $722,000 bank robbery, shot and framed Javier Ovando, and stole and resold at least $800,000 of cocaine from LAPD...
, who would later implicate Sgt. Liddy and over 70 other officers in several instances of police misconduct.
Rampart Scandal
More than 100 criminal cases were overturned after former LAPD Officer Rafael PerezRafael Pérez (police officer)
Rafael Antonio "Ray" Pérez , is a former Los Angeles Police Department C.R.A.S.H officer and the central figure in the LAPD Rampart Scandal. He was involved in the coverup of a $722,000 bank robbery, shot and framed Javier Ovando, and stole and resold at least $800,000 of cocaine from LAPD...
testified that he, his partner and other officers (including Liddy) stationed in the Rampart
LAPD Rampart Division
The Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department serves communities to the west and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles including Echo Park, Pico-Union and Westlake, all together designated as the Rampart patrol area. Its name is derived from Rampart Boulevard, one of the principal...
CRASH
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums, usually known by the acronym C.R.A.S.H., was an elite, but controversial special operations unit of the Los Angeles Police Department. It was established by then-chief Daryl Gates to combat the rising problem of gangs in Los Angeles, California...
unit had routinely framed gang members for crimes they did not commit. Perez made his allegations in exchange for leniency after he was caught stealing cocaine from a police evidence locker. However, the credibility of Perez has been undermined by his testimony in several internal affairs investigations in which three officers, including Liddy, accused of crimes or misconduct were found not guilty or the charges were dropped.
Trial
Liddy, along with Sgt. Edward Ortiz and former Officer Michael Buchanan, were the first to be charged with conspiring to obstruct justice by then-Los Angeles District Attorney Gil GarcettiGil Garcetti
Gilbert Salvadore Iberri "Gil" Garcetti is an American politician. He served as Los Angeles County's 40th District Attorney for two terms, from 1992 until November 7, 2000.-Background:...
based on Perez's testimony. The criminal case against the Rampart officers revolved around a 1996 incident in which two reputed gang members were convicted of hitting Buchanan and Liddy with a pickup truck in an alley. Perez told authorities three years later that the officers made up the story to frame the pair. In a highly publicized trial in 2000, a Superior Court jury convicted the three officers of the charges, based on Perez's testimony. Afterward, however, Judge Jacqueline Connor vacated the verdicts, saying she had made a “fatal error” in not recognizing that jurors might have misread some "jargon" in the police report that unintentionally lent support to the claim that the officers had lied.
Lawsuit
After their acquittals, in separate federal civil rights lawsuits filed on August 6, 2005, Liddy and the two other men charged in the trial accused former Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. ParksBernard C. Parks
Bernard C. Parks is an American politician. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the 8th District in South Los Angeles. He served as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from August 1997 to May 2002...
and the LAPD of using them as “scapegoats” to satisfy the media during the scandal involving the Rampart Division’s anti-gang unit, and that they were charged due to questionable testimony from Perez and other witnesses.
In his lawsuit, Liddy alleged that a disciplinary board criticized internal affairs investigators for giving questionable facts to witnesses with criminal backgrounds who testified against the officers. The LAPD Board of Rights' official report stated the witnesses’ recollections were “potentially tainted by the interview process and raised serious questions regarding their credibility,” according to the lawsuit. The board unanimously overruled discipline for Liddy, his lawsuit states. Disciplinary proceedings against Ortiz were pending. The three plaintiffs also accused the department of concealing from the district attorney’s office the names of witnesses who could have corroborated defense claims that Perez lied in his testimony about the officers.
A civil jury awarded Liddy over five million dollars for violation of his civil rights in 2006. In January 2009, Liddy and the other two officers settled with the city on two other cases that alleged wrongful termination, and violation of civil rights. Liddy medically retired from the police department in 2006.