Official Pleads Innocent to Drunk Driving Charges
A Baldwin Park city councilman who allegedly told police he hoped they would “get shot and killed” pleaded innocent Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of drunk driving and interfering with officers.
Herschel Keyser, 60, was arrested the night of Jan. 25 after a security guard at the Landmark Restaurant called police to report that a man was sitting in his pickup truck.
Police arrived and told the councilman to stay put, but he started the engine and tried to drive away, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Patty Ryan.
Keyser, who entered his plea in West Covina’s Citrus Municipal Court, was quoted in the police report as telling the arresting officers: “I don’t blame people for shooting at you. It should be declared open season on Baldwin Park police. I hope you get shot and killed tonight.”
Keyser has said he called the Police Department the day after the incident to apologize. He said he did not make the comments police attributed to him.
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