Local News in Brief : San Clemente : Deposed Police Chief Files Defamation Suit
Former San Clemente Police Chief Kelson McDaniel filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming the city defamed him last year when he was deposed.
McDaniel, who resigned under fire last May, later unsuccessfully sought reinstatement.
McDaniel was asked to resign after the 50-member police force gave the chief a vote of no confidence, complaining that his style was punitive and that he disrupted their personal lives by requiring frequent shift changes.
The Orange County Superior Court lawsuit seeks more than $4 million in damages against four city officials and nine employees. McDaniel claimed he was defamed and subjected to distress during the investigation of his performance and at later hearings.
McDaniel also claimed that evidence that would have supported his position was lost or destroyed.
McDaniel’s lawyer, Fred T. Ashley, declined comment.
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