2 L.A. School Officers in King Case Fired

Two Los Angeles Unified School District police officers who stood by during the beating of Rodney G. King have been fired after they failed to report the beating to district officials, police union officials said.

School district officials would neither confirm nor deny the firings Tuesday, but the head of the union representing school police said Mark Diamond and Paul James Beauregard were relieved of duty Monday afternoon, after the school board approved the Police Department’s termination recommendation.

The two are the first officers who were bystanders during the March 3 beating to be fired in connection with the case, though some have been disciplined, according to Richard Keith, general manager of the school police officers union.

More than 20 officers from several police agencies--including the Los Angeles Police Department and the California Highway Patrol--stood by during the beating by Los Angeles police officers.

Joe Preciado, head of the 300-member Los Angeles Unified School District Police Officers Assn., confirmed that the two school officers were “told they were being fired” about 3 p.m. Monday.

He said the union plans to appeal “to the school board, and if that fails, to Superior Court, to get their jobs back.”

Preciado said the officers had been reassigned to desk jobs shortly after the beating, which was captured on videotape. Although there were no allegations that either school district officer struck King, they were subject to disciplinary proceedings for failing to report the beating to their superiors.

“As far as we’re concerned, it’s excessive punishment and we’re going to fight (the firings),” Keith said.

According to a transcript of Beauregard’s testimony before the county Grand Jury, he and Diamond were on patrol in the northeast San Fernando Valley when they pulled alongside a CHP car and were asked by the CHP officers to join in the pursuit of King’s car.

Beauregard told the grand jury he did not see most of the beating that followed the chase because he was assisting in the arrest of two passengers from King’s car.

The two passengers were never jailed or charged in connection with the incident, said John Burton, attorney for one of the men.