Involves Suspect in Detective’s Slaying : LAPD Internal Probe File Sought

The attorney for a man accused of the 1985 ambush slaying of a police detective in Canoga Park asked Monday for documents on an ongoing police internal investigation into how detectives handled a tip relating to the accused killer.

Howard R. Price, who represents murder suspect Daniel Steven Jenkins, asked for the file on an inquiry into whether police failed to act on a tip that Jenkins planned to shoot the victim of a 1984 robbery. Price said he hopes to use the information to undermine the credibility of potential witnesses.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jean E. Matusinka did not rule on the request, which was opposed by the prosecution, pending a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Shot at Day-Care Center

Jenkins, 30, of North Hollywood is one of four men charged in the killing of Los Angeles Police Detective Thomas C. Williams, who was shot as he picked up his 6-year-old son at a day-care center last Halloween. Williams had testified against Jenkins hours earlier at a robbery trial.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Jenkins, who is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

At the time of the killing, Jenkins was free on bail awaiting a verdict on charges stemming from the 1984 robbery of George Carpenter, a North Hollywood movie theater manager. Jenkins allegedly shot Carpenter shot four times several months later, but Carpenter survived.

Jenkins was convicted of the robbery and later charged with attempted murder in the attack on Carpenter.

Response to Tip Questioned

The internal investigation centers on testimony at Jenkins’ preliminary haring that Wilshire Division police received a tip after the robbery that Jenkins might try to shoot Carpenter. Wilshire Division officers said they passed the tip on to North Hollywood detectives but the detectives testified that they never received the information.

Price argued that the investigation might show that some police officers lied. If the same officers are involved in the current case against Jenkins, the validity of their testimony could be questioned, Price said.

Assistant City Atty. Byron R. Boeckman, who represented the Los Angeles Police Department at the hearing, argued that the report is confidential and that its disclosure would violate the privacy rights of police officers.

The defense also has requested police documents relating to the surveillance of Jenkins before the slaying last October. Police said they stopped their surveillance in September, but Jenkins believes he was being followed until the day of the shooting, Price said.

There is reason to question why Jenkins would have broken the law if he believed he was being watched by police, the defense attorney said.