Ex-Simi Officer Pleads No Contest to Assault

Aformer Simi Valley police officer who was arrested for assaulting a prisoner in the City Jail in April has pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of assault under the color of authority.

Loyd Waters, 24, who changed his plea from innocent Monday, was sentenced by Ventura Municipal Judge John Hunter to three months unsupervised probation and ordered to serve 200 hours of community service.

Waters was fired from the Simi Valley police force three weeks after the April 1 incident, which began after Christopher J. Durkee, 28, of Simi Valley was detained by police officers who believed he was acting in a threatening manner.

Durkee was in a holding cell, “handcuffed and basically hog-tied,” when Waters sprayed him with mace, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Ed Brodie. Durkee was later taken to a state mental hospital and released.

Waters’ lawyer, Bill Hadden, said his client decided to plead no contest because Waters “recognized what he did” and was willing to accept punishment. Waters has appealed his firing to a hearing officer selected by the city and Waters. The hearing is scheduled for July 25.