Rafael Pérez (police officer)
Encyclopedia
Rafael Antonio "Ray" Pérez (born 1967), 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
evidence lockers. He is accused of being a member of the Bloods
, a notorious Los Angeles
gang, and murdering rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
at the behest of Suge Knight
of Death Row Records
. When Pérez was finally arrested, he implicated 70 other Rampart Division officers in various forms of misconduct, ranging from bad shootings to consuming alcohol while on duty. At least 106 LAPD
arrests were overturned based on Pérez's testimony.
in 1967 and moved to the United States
early in his childhood. After moving to several locations, he would eventually be raised by his mother in Philadelphia. According to his lawyer, Winston Kevin McKesson, Pérez "remembers standing on a street corner as a child, watching drug dealers and dreaming of one day being the cop to arrest them."
Pérez graduated high school in 1985 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
. He was hired by the LAPD
after leaving the Marine Corps in 1989.
, an anti-gang unit given a long leash by the LAPD. Pérez gained a reputation as a tough and effective officer, valued for his fluency in Spanish and his knowledge of L.A.'s gangs.
. Ovando, who was left paralyzed, was sentenced to 23 years in prison based on the officers' false testimony.
On August 25, 1998, Pérez, then at age 31 and a nine-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department
, was arrested for stealing six pounds of cocaine from a department property room. (The theft was originally suspected to be an attempt at framing Frank Lyga
in retaliation for the shooting of Pérez's friend, Kevin Gaines
.) The cocaine was estimated to be worth $800,000 on the street.
. He was charged with conspiracy to violate Ovando's civil rights, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number
. He went on to serve 5 years in federal prison
.
Pérez, who legally changed his name to Ray Lopez, was arrested in July by Department of Motor Vehicles
investigators while visiting his federal parole officer in Inglewood. Pérez pleaded no contest to lying in his application for a California driver's license on June 30, 2005.
Pérez was sentenced to an additional three years probation and 300 hours of community service.
, accused of crimes or misconduct were found not guilty or the charges were dropped. He has failed several lie-detector tests and has made several errors in his testimony in the past. The issue of Perez's credibility has already led to at least 5 cases of either dropped charges or acquittal.
, filed a wrongful death suit against the city of Los Angeles
, former LAPD Officer Rafael Pérez and his partner former Officer Nino Durden
, seeking unspecified general, compensatory and punitive monetary damages. The lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court by Wallace's mother, his widow Faith Evans
, and his two children.
The lawsuit states that Pérez, Nino Durden
, their partner former Officer David Mack
, and "certain unknown persons" were responsible for the death of Christopher Wallace. The rapper was shot to death on March 9, 1997, as he and Sean Combs
left the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards after-party held at the Petersen Automotive Museum
on Wilshire Boulevard
in Los Angeles
. The lawsuit states the killing was committed "in a very efficient, organized and professional manner, suggesting that a high degree of coordination and planning preceded his murder." It further states that Pérez admitted to the LAPD
that he and David Mack
"conspired to murder, and participated in the murder of Christopher Wallace
." Both Pérez and Nino Durden
were on duty during the night of March 9,.
Wallace's
murder is believed to have been in retaliation for the murder of Tupac Shakur
. Tupac Shakur
was a member of Death Row Records
, run by Marion "Suge" Knight
. Knight is known to have hired off-duty Rampart cops for security such as Kevin Gaines
, who was shot to death by fellow LAPD officer Frank Lyga
on March 18, 1997. Knight, who grew up in Compton
, is well known for his ties to the Bloods
. Following his arrest, detectives found several photos of Rafael Pérez flashing Blood gang signs. The connection between Pérez and the murder of Christopher Wallace
has long been a source of speculation by the LAPD
.
The current wrongful death lawsuit states that Pérez was a member of "a violent street gang associated with Death Row Records, and that he was partly responsible for Wallace's death."
character officer Tenpenny is loosely based on Rafael Perez.
In the movie Training Day
, Denzel Washington
said he emulated the style of Rafael Perez to give his character Alonzo, a more authentic aspect.
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...
C.R.A.S.H officer and the central figure 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...
. He was involved in the coverup of a $722,000 bank robbery, shot and framed 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...
, and stole and resold at least $800,000 of cocaine from LAPD
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...
evidence lockers. He is accused of being a member of the Bloods
Bloods
The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs...
, a notorious 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...
gang, and murdering rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
at the behest of Suge Knight
Suge Knight
Marion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
of Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
. When Pérez was finally arrested, he implicated 70 other Rampart Division officers in various forms of misconduct, ranging from bad shootings to consuming alcohol while on duty. At least 106 LAPD
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...
arrests were overturned based on Pérez's testimony.
Early years
Rafael Antonio Pérez was born in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in 1967 and moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
early in his childhood. After moving to several locations, he would eventually be raised by his mother in Philadelphia. According to his lawyer, Winston Kevin McKesson, Pérez "remembers standing on a street corner as a child, watching drug dealers and dreaming of one day being the cop to arrest them."
Pérez graduated high school in 1985 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He was hired by the LAPD
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...
after leaving the Marine Corps in 1989.
Career
After serving on routine patrol duties, Pérez was transferred to a narcotics unit in 1992. In 1995 he was transferred to Rampart Division and assigned to CRASHCommunity 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...
, an anti-gang unit given a long leash by the LAPD. Pérez gained a reputation as a tough and effective officer, valued for his fluency in Spanish and his knowledge of L.A.'s gangs.
Criminal activities
Pérez and his partner Nino Durden famously shot and framed an unarmed gang member Javier OvandoJavier 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...
. Ovando, who was left paralyzed, was sentenced to 23 years in prison based on the officers' false testimony.
On August 25, 1998, Pérez, then at age 31 and a nine-year veteran of 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...
, was arrested for stealing six pounds of cocaine from a department property room. (The theft was originally suspected to be an attempt at framing Frank Lyga
Frank Lyga
Frank Lyga was an officer in the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department known for shooting and killing Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums officer Kevin Gaines...
in retaliation for the shooting of Pérez's friend, Kevin Gaines
Kevin Gaines (police officer)
Kevin Lee Gaines was an officer assigned to the infamous Los Angeles Police Department Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums unit implicated in the Rampart Scandal....
.) The cocaine was estimated to be worth $800,000 on the street.
February 2000
In February 2000, Pérez was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing 8 pounds of cocaine from an LAPD evidence locker. At his sentencing, Pérez read a statement in which he said, "I cheated on my wife. I cheated on my employer, and I cheated on all of you, the people of Los Angeles".December 17, 2001 – federal charges
Pérez pled guilty to new charges resulting from the shooting of Javier OvandoJavier 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...
. He was charged with conspiracy to violate Ovando's civil rights, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number
Serial number
A serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value...
. He went on to serve 5 years in federal prison
Federal prison
Federal prisons are run by national governments in countries where subdivisions of the country also operate prisons.In the United States federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In Canada the Correctional Service of Canada operates federal prisons. Prison sentences in these...
.
October 31, 2006 felony count
On October 31, 2006, Pérez pleaded no contest to a felony count of perjury before the Torrance Superior Court.Pérez, who legally changed his name to Ray Lopez, was arrested in July by Department of Motor Vehicles
Department of Motor Vehicles
In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
investigators while visiting his federal parole officer in Inglewood. Pérez pleaded no contest to lying in his application for a California driver's license on June 30, 2005.
Pérez was sentenced to an additional three years probation and 300 hours of community service.
Questions of Credibility
The credibility of Perez has been undermined by his testimony in several internal affairs investigations in which three officers, including Brian LiddyBrian Liddy
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...
, accused of crimes or misconduct were found not guilty or the charges were dropped. He has failed several lie-detector tests and has made several errors in his testimony in the past. The issue of Perez's credibility has already led to at least 5 cases of either dropped charges or acquittal.
Ongoing investigation into the murder of The Notorious B.I.G.
On April 16, 2007 relatives of rapper Christopher Wallace, who was known as The Notorious B.I.G.The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
, filed a wrongful death suit against the city of 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...
, former LAPD Officer Rafael Pérez and his partner former Officer Nino Durden
Nino Durden
Gino Floyd "Nino" Durden , was a police officer in the elite Los Angeles Police Department Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums 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...
, seeking unspecified general, compensatory and punitive monetary damages. The lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court by Wallace's mother, his widow Faith Evans
Faith Evans
Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B...
, and his two children.
The lawsuit states that Pérez, Nino Durden
Nino Durden
Gino Floyd "Nino" Durden , was a police officer in the elite Los Angeles Police Department Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums 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...
, their partner former Officer David Mack
David Mack (police officer)
David Anthony Mack , is a former LAPD Rampart Division Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums officer. He is one of the central figures in the LAPD Rampart police corruption scandal. Mack was arrested for masterminding the November 6, 1997, robbery of $722,000 from a South Central Los...
, and "certain unknown persons" were responsible for the death of Christopher Wallace. The rapper was shot to death on March 9, 1997, as he and Sean Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
left the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards after-party held at the Petersen Automotive Museum
Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the world's largest automotive museums, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a non profit organization specializing in the education and history of the...
on Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
in 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...
. The lawsuit states the killing was committed "in a very efficient, organized and professional manner, suggesting that a high degree of coordination and planning preceded his murder." It further states that Pérez admitted to the LAPD
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...
that he and David Mack
David Mack (police officer)
David Anthony Mack , is a former LAPD Rampart Division Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums officer. He is one of the central figures in the LAPD Rampart police corruption scandal. Mack was arrested for masterminding the November 6, 1997, robbery of $722,000 from a South Central Los...
"conspired to murder, and participated in the murder of Christopher Wallace
Christopher Wallace
Christopher Wallace may refer to:*Christopher Wallace , retired British Army general and current trustee of the Imperial War Museum*The Notorious B.I.G...
." Both Pérez and Nino Durden
Nino Durden
Gino Floyd "Nino" Durden , was a police officer in the elite Los Angeles Police Department Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums 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...
were on duty during the night of March 9,.
Wallace's
Christopher Wallace
Christopher Wallace may refer to:*Christopher Wallace , retired British Army general and current trustee of the Imperial War Museum*The Notorious B.I.G...
murder is believed to have been in retaliation for the murder of Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
. Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
was a member of Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
, run by Marion "Suge" Knight
Suge Knight
Marion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
. Knight is known to have hired off-duty Rampart cops for security such as Kevin Gaines
Kevin Gaines (police officer)
Kevin Lee Gaines was an officer assigned to the infamous Los Angeles Police Department Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums unit implicated in the Rampart Scandal....
, who was shot to death by fellow LAPD officer Frank Lyga
Frank Lyga
Frank Lyga was an officer in the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department known for shooting and killing Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums officer Kevin Gaines...
on March 18, 1997. Knight, who grew up in Compton
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
, is well known for his ties to the Bloods
Bloods
The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs...
. Following his arrest, detectives found several photos of Rafael Pérez flashing Blood gang signs. The connection between Pérez and the murder of Christopher Wallace
Christopher Wallace
Christopher Wallace may refer to:*Christopher Wallace , retired British Army general and current trustee of the Imperial War Museum*The Notorious B.I.G...
has long been a source of speculation by the LAPD
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...
.
The current wrongful death lawsuit states that Pérez was a member of "a violent street gang associated with Death Row Records, and that he was partly responsible for Wallace's death."
Pop culture
In the game Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
character officer Tenpenny is loosely based on Rafael Perez.
In the movie Training Day
Training Day
Training Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and...
, Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
said he emulated the style of Rafael Perez to give his character Alonzo, a more authentic aspect.