Former Santa Ana Officer Says Complainants Told Ethnic Jokes

A former Santa Ana police officer testified Thursday that he never saw or heard about any instances of discrimination, retaliation or racism directed against three of his fellow Latino officers in the late 1970s, contrary to their complaints of racial bias on the force.

Former Cpl. Michael Candelaria also told the jurors in federal court in Los Angeles that he did not consider racial or ethnic jokes offensive and that he and the three officers suing the city had told such jokes.

Candelaria said he even used the term “wetback” to refer to members of his own ethnic heritage and that he did not consider it offensive, although he thought that Police Chief Raymond C. Davis would not condone the use of such names.

Davis on Stand

Davis also continued his testimony about the events that led to the resignations of Jesse J. Sanchez and Victor Torres and the firing of Robert Caro. The three departures occurred during a turbulent time after a large, court-ordered influx of minorities on the nearly all-white force had created racial tensions.

Sanchez, Torres and Caro claim in their $3-million suit, filed in 1979 in U.S. District Court, that they were forced out of the department. They charge that the city, Davis and 15 other current and former police officers allowed or encouraged a racist attitude in the department that constituted a discriminatory policy and violated their civil rights.

Candelaria, the fourth of more than 70 witnesses expected to testify over the next two months, said that he has “never been offended by a racial or ethnic joke.” He maintained his testimony after U.S. District Judge David Kenyon asked, “Even if it was the lowest thing on earth?”

Absolves Force

The former officer said he had “encountered discrimination” in the past but not on the Santa Ana police force. He said he did not know of anyone in the department who was prejudiced, biased or racist, or who had taken retaliatory action against anyone claiming racism.

When asked if the telling of racial or ethnic jokes could reinforce racial prejudice, Candelaria, now a computer engineer after leaving the force with a disability in 1983, replied, “I don’t know.”

Much of Candelaria’s and Davis’ testimony covered the events leading to Caro’s 1978 dismissal.

In January, 1978, the newly formed Latino Peace Officers Assn. was trying to gain recognition and asked to meet with Davis. Instead, Davis called an open meeting for all minorities to raise any issues they wanted. Caro, as an LPOA officer, joined with the group’s leaders in presenting a list of complaints about racism to Davis.

Incident Recalled

Later that day, Caro was chasing a burglary suspect and called for help, Candelaria said. Candelaria, the last to arrive, saw an Anglo officer with a bleeding finger standing over a handcuffed Latino suspect while Caro stood nearby instead of helping, the former officer testified.

Caro charged in a complaint with the department that the Anglo officer used excessive force to arrest the suspect. Several months later, Caro was fired after an internal investigation determined that Caro’s claims were false.

Davis’ testimony about the internal investigation of Caro appeared inconsistent at times.

At one point, for instance, the chief said he was not aware of the complaints made by and against Caro until shortly before a recommendation to fire Caro was submitted to him in March. But when asked whether he knew in early February about Caro’s charge that he was a victim of retaliation, Davis said, “He made allegations, but I didn’t believe him.”

Officer Bypassed

Davis also testified that he decided not to turn the probe over to the department’s affirmative action officer even though he knew Caro was claiming that there was a concerted effort to fire him and to disrupt the LPOA, whose complaints were being investigated separately.

Instead, the chief said, he had another supervisor investigate Caro because he believed the matter to be labor-oriented rather than race- or ethnic-oriented. He also acknowledged knowing that Caro believed the main investigator to be unfair.

Davis will continue his testimony next week.