Inglewood Police Deny They ‘Fixed’ Ticket for Axl Rose

Rock ‘n’ roll singer Axl Rose may think he strong-armed Inglewood police into “fixing” a traffic ticket, but the department’s top brass insist he’s mistaken.

After Rose’s limousine driver was cited for making an illegal left turn into the Forum Tuesday, an irate Rose threatened to refuse to let his band, Guns N’ Roses, take the stage unless police canceled the ticket.

To quell the controversy, police Lt. Tom Hoffman, who headed the police detail at the Forum, agreed to take back the ticket that had been issued by a motorcycle officer.

Rose, who sparked a riot among fans when he abruptly ended a concert last month in St. Louis, personally thanked Hoffman from the Forum stage.

But Hoffman did not “fix” the ticket, police officials said Thursday. Instead, the incident remains under review, and the ticket ultimately may be reissued, they said.

City spokesman Truman Jacques said he has been flooded with calls from outraged residents, asking, “ ‘Do I have to go out and make a rock ‘n’ roll record to get a ticket killed?’ ”

Not so, Jacques said.

“This lieutenant just decided to keep the peace,” he said. “The ticket isn’t dead. Whatever Rose wants to think is fine.”

Rose, who was in the back seat when the limousine was pulled over, had argued that a civilian traffic control officer gave confusing directions to the driver shortly before he made the illegal left turn into the Forum parking lot.

Police said they would interview the traffic officer and then forward the ticket early next week to City Atty. Howard Rosten for final review.

“Fixing” a ticket is a violation of a state law passed in 1987 in the wake of disclosures that San Diego police officials canceled tickets for members of the media, politicians, friends of police, family members and influential San Diegans.

The law says anyone who “alters, conceals, modifies, nullifies, or destroys a ticket before it is filed with the court” is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Rosten said Rose’s involvement in the case will not be a factor when he gets the case.

“Who exactly is Axl Rose?” Rosten asked.