Probe of Police Scuffle Left to Internal Affairs Investigators

Los Angeles police internal affairs investigators Tuesday questioned one of two officers who were involved in a recent scuffle with a woman who works as a supervisor in the Parker Center jail.

The interview, which is part of a department probe into the incident, came as the City Council unanimously voted to ask the Police Commission to investigate the Aug. 9 confrontation involving Jennifer Jones, a black employee, and Officers Michael Daly and John Puis, both of whom are white.

But the Police Commission indicated it had no intention of initiating its own probe of the Jones case because the LAPD’s Internal Affairs Division was already conducting one.

“We’ve already made the request and the matter is being investigated,” said Commission President Stanley Sheinbaum.

Asked why the commission would not conduct a separate investigation, Sheinbaum said: “We don’t have the staff to do that. But we are glad that Mr. Ridley-Thomas has put new focus on this problem.”

Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas brought the motion for the inquiry along with Councilwoman Rita Walters.

“The objective is to get this matter looked into thoroughly and as quickly as possible to make sure we don’t have a situation in which dirty cops are doing dirty work,” Ridley-Thomas said.

“In light of the fact that we know there is a core group of officers in the department who have a pattern of abusive behavior,” he added, “it is important for us to ferret that matter out as quickly as possible.”

In its landmark review of the LAPD issued last month, the Christopher Commission identified 44 officers who had a significant number of excessive force complaints filed against them.

In the days since the incident, there have been conflicting reports about what happened. Jones’ attorney, Darryl Mounger, has maintained that the officers were “too abrupt and overreacted” to Jones when she attempted to enter the building without identification.

But on Tuesday, a Police Department defense representative for Puis gave a different account. “The information that I have leads me to believe that the officers were attacked first with a ring of keys, with a martial arts pain compliance device attached to it,” said Sgt. Harry Ryon. “She struck Officer Daly with it.”

Ryon said Puis, who came to Daly’s aid, was not struck.

Ryon also said Daly was interviewed by Internal Affairs investigators on Tuesday, and that Puis will face questioning today. He said he did not know when the probe would be finished, but hinted that with pressure coming from the City Council, it might move quickly.

The fight erupted when the officers challenged Jones’ presence in the Parker Center parking lot, which is off-limits to non-department employees, police officials said.

Jones was handcuffed and jailed, officials said. She and Daly required medical treatment.

Police Commissioner Michael Yamaki said it appears the officers acted appropriately in stopping Jones for questioning, but that there are conflicting reports about what happened after that.

“There is a real security issue here,” Yamaki said. “I do agree with the officers that the utmost importance was the security of the facility first. Now, what occurred after that, I’m hearing conflicting versions.”

Yamaki also said he does not believe the commission should conduct a separate investigation before receiving the results of the Internal Affairs probe.