Nino Durden
Encyclopedia
Gino Floyd "Nino" Durden (born May 5, 1963), was a police officer in the elite Los Angeles Police Department
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH)
unit implicated in the LAPD Rampart scandal
. Durden, along with Officer Rafael Pérez
, was involved in the shooting and framing
of gang member Javier Ovando
. Both officers later made false statements against Ovando in court.
Durden was charged with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm in the Ovando shooting, filing a false report and perjury – two counts stemming from the October 25, 1996, arrest of Miguel Hernandez, who was allegedly framed on a weapons offense, second-degree robbery for allegedly stealing jewelry and money from a suspected drug dealer on August 15, 1997, and filing a false report in connection with the February 2, 1997, arrest of Jose Lara, who also was allegedly framed on a weapons charge.
Durden pled guilty to all charges and was sentenced to five years in prison on six California state charges, including perjury, filing false police reports and conspiracy to obstruct justice, on August 6, 2002. The sentence was served concurrently with a three year sentence for federal charges of civil rights violations and possession of an illegal firearm.
) and had worked there since 1997, after the arrest of fellow LAPD officer Rafael Pérez
. He was featured in several episodes of the FOX
series LAPD: Life On the Beat
before his involvement in the scandal became known.
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...
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (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 implicated in the LAPD 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...
. Durden, along with Officer Rafael Pérez
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...
, was involved in the shooting and framing
Frameup
A frame-up or setup is an American term referring to the act of framing someone, that is, providing false evidence or false testimony in order to falsely prove someone guilty of a crime....
of gang member Javier Ovando
Javier Ovando
Javier Francisco Ovando , is a Honduran man who became a central figure in the LAPD Rampart Scandal when he was shot and framed by corrupt Rampart officers Rafael Pérez and Nino Durden. Ovando is an immigrant and a former member of the powerful 18th Street Gang...
. Both officers later made false statements against Ovando in court.
Arrest and charges
Durden was arrested in July 2000. According to media reports, like the other officers directly involved, Durden was booked wearing his LAPD uniform.Durden was charged with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm in the Ovando shooting, filing a false report and perjury – two counts stemming from the October 25, 1996, arrest of Miguel Hernandez, who was allegedly framed on a weapons offense, second-degree robbery for allegedly stealing jewelry and money from a suspected drug dealer on August 15, 1997, and filing a false report in connection with the February 2, 1997, arrest of Jose Lara, who also was allegedly framed on a weapons charge.
Durden pled guilty to all charges and was sentenced to five years in prison on six California state charges, including perjury, filing false police reports and conspiracy to obstruct justice, on August 6, 2002. The sentence was served concurrently with a three year sentence for federal charges of civil rights violations and possession of an illegal firearm.
Media
Throughout the timeline of the incidents reported in the Rampart investigation, Durden was working in the LAPD's South Bureau (South Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
) and had worked there since 1997, after the arrest of fellow LAPD officer Rafael Pérez
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...
. He was featured in several episodes of the FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series LAPD: Life On the Beat
LAPD: Life On the Beat
LAPD: Life on the Beat , was an American reality television series which aired in syndication, about the Los Angeles Police Department that aired from 1995-1999,...
before his involvement in the scandal became known.