Deputy Reportedly Ignored Riot-Duty Orders

A San Diego County sheriff’s deputy is under internal investigation for allegedly refusing to join a team of 220 other officers who helped Los Angeles police quell rioting four weeks ago, the head of the San Diego County law enforcement detail said Thursday.

“A deputy sheriff refused to respond to a mutual aid call to go to Los Angeles,” said Sheriff’s Cmdr. Robert DeSteunder, who was in charge of a team representing nine departments in San Diego County that arrived in Los Angeles April 30.

“The matter is under investigation,” he said. “If it is found to be true, it is a serious offense. The very essence of a law enforcement officer’s job is to protect the public. It is the very essence of police work.”

Sources identified the deputy under scrutiny as Carla Heringer, who had worked in the personnel office but was transferred to the property and evidence unit once the investigation began earlier this month.

Heringer could be fired for insubordination if the allegations are found to be true, DeSteunder said.

“In general, there could be a reason why an individual officer could not go,” he said. “But, if that were the case, the person should have been excused. If an officer is expected to be there, we’re counting on it, and the officer is not there, we’ve got a problem.”

Heringer, 35, has been with the department nine years. Her husband, Roy Heringer, also works for the department in the special enforcement detail.

Carla Heringer declined to comment about the investigation or the allegations.

On April 30, the day after the Rodney G. King verdict, about 50 San Diego deputies and supervisors--about half of them women--joined a group of 70 San Diego police officers and 100 more law enforcement personnel from departments in Chula Vista, Coronado, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido, National City, La Mesa and El Cajon.

DeSteunder was placed in charge of the combined unit, which reported to the Los Angeles Coliseum the night of April 30. At 3 p.m. that day, sheriff’s deputies were told they were to meet at the Vista patrol station three hours later, where they would be deployed to Los Angeles.

San Diego police left Los Angeles after about five hours because they did not have an assignment and were needed to battle violence in San Diego, police Capt. Jim Sing said.

Those that remained faced many problems, DeSteunder said. The Los Angeles police only had about eight walkie-talkies for everyone, meaning that only 15 cars could be deployed.

Sources said Heringer was told at 3 p.m. that she would be among those assigned to the riot and to meet at the Vista patrol station at 6 p.m. She never showed up. It is unclear whether she reported to work the next day. The combined unit, excluding the San Diego police, was used May 2 to respond to riots in Compton.

DeSteunder said he knew of no other officer who refused to make the trip. Sing, of the Police Department, said he had to turn officers away who volunteered from the assignment.

“Everyone came that was asked, and I had double that many in phone calls volunteering to go,” he said.