Firing of Officer Affirmed
The Torrance Civil Service Commission has affirmed the firing of Timothy Pappas, the police officer dismissed last year because he allegedly lied to superiors about the circumstances surrounding the shooting of an unarmed suspect.
The commission made its decision Monday after three nights of closed hearings conducted this month.
Police Chief Donald Nash fired Pappas after he shot construction worker Patrick J. Coyle last May.
The four-year Torrance police veteran and Mark Holden, a fellow officer accused of lying to superiors about the incident, are awaiting trial on criminal charges of obstructing justice.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher Darden said the shooting, which left Coyle partially paralyzed, appeared to be accidental. Pappas is charged with lying about the shooting to make it appear that he fired his .45-caliber pistol in self defense, Darden said. Pappas allegedly told superiors that he shot Coyle when he reached toward his waistband, as if for a weapon, according to police reports. Pappas later admitted that he “tensed up” and accidentally pulled the trigger, the reports say.
Pappas has not decided whether to appeal his termination to the City Council, said his lawyer, Michael Norris. Pappas and Holden pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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