6 Police Officers Disciplined for Off-Duty Brawl

Six Los Angeles police officers who took part in a brawl at a Burbank restaurant while they were off duty have been disciplined by the Police Department and three of them have pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace, authorities said Thursday.

One of the officers, Sgt. Christopher Bonilla, 32, has been relieved of duty without pay and faces a departmental hearing at which he could lose his job, Los Angeles Police Cmdr. William Booth said.

The disciplinary actions stem from a fight that broke out at the Black Angus on May 10, 1989, authorities said.

Burbank police said the brawl took place in the bar of the restaurant at 235 S. 1st St. after a patron, Robert Martinez, 29, of Burbank, walked by the off-duty officers and knocked over a bottle of beer.

A shouting match followed and the officers began fighting with Martinez. Police said two cocktail waitresses, two bouncers and a bartender joined in, and the fight spilled into the parking lot.

Booth said five of the officers involved in the fight were later disciplined by Police Chief Daryl F. Gates. But Booth declined to name the officers or disclose what action was taken against them.

However, Bonilla, who is assigned to Wilshire Division, was ordered last week to appear May 23 before a police board on three misconduct charges related to the incident. The board could recommend to Gates that Bonilla be fired.

Burbank Deputy City Atty. Jim Rood said three of the officers, Bonilla, Oscar Jiminez and Arthur Placentia, pleaded guilty last month to disturbing the peace and were fined $470 each.

Bonilla, who was originally charged with battery, was also placed on three years probation, Rood said.

Booth said an internal affairs investigation found that Bonilla had been drinking and made threats during the incident and had kicked Martinez while he was lying in the parking lot.

Rood said Martinez was originally charged with assault with a deadly weapon but the charge was dropped after police determined he “had a strong case for self defense.”