Officer Who Killed Driver Violated Policy : Police: Commission rules 15-year LAPD veteran acted improperly in shooting death of tow truck operator in South-Central.

Acting on the recommendation of Police Chief Willie L. Williams, the Los Angeles Police Commission has ruled that a motorcycle officer violated department policy when he shot and killed a tow truck driver after a confrontation at a South-Central gas station.

The five-member commission, which announced its ruling Wednesday, found that Douglas Iversen, 42, a 15-year-veteran, did not follow policy when he shot and killed John L. Daniels Jr. on July 1.

The commission ordered Iversen and his partner, Patrick Bradshaw, 28, to undergo tactical training. Its action clears the way for a review of Iversen’s actions by the department’s Board of Rights, which will determine discipline that could include dismissal.

The shooting took place less than two miles from a flash point in the riots, and it attracted an angry crowd of more than 200 people who shouted obscenities at police. It became an important first test for Williams, whose officers contacted local leaders after the incident in an effort to calm the community. Daniels was black; the two motorcycle officers are white.

Iversen told authorities he shot Daniels, who was unarmed, after the tow truck driver refused an order to stop his truck and began to pull away from a gas station at Florence Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. The officer said he fired his weapon because he feared that Daniels was about to run over pedestrians, police said.

Witnesses said Daniels did not pose a threat to anyone. Police sources and one witness reported soon after the incident that Bradshaw turned to Iversen moments after the shooting and asked, “What did you do that for?”

After a review of the shooting, Williams questioned the officer’s decision to draw his weapon and found the use of force inappropriate.

“Although I understand his concern for the public’s safety, I am not convinced there was an imminent threat to these individuals,” Williams wrote. “I also believe that drawing his weapon limited any alternative options available to Officer Iversen.”

Williams said he also found that Iversen used excessive force when he fired his weapon to stop the driver from hitting pedestrians. Bradshaw did not fire his weapon during the incident and was not recommended for discipline.

“Analysis of numerous officer-involved shootings incidents has firmly established that shooting at a moving vehicle is rarely effective and extremely hazardous to innocent persons,” Williams wrote. “I do not believe this incident had escalated to the point where deadly force was justified.”

In his review of the shooting, Williams said he found both officers “became complacent during a routine traffic stop and allowed Daniels to freely move about during their investigation.” He recommended that both officers receive tactical training.

The recommendations were approved unanimously by the commission during a closed-door session Tuesday, and its members later praised the police chief’s handling of the investigation.

“The police chief made a thorough and complete report and presented his findings to the commission, and we decided it was out of policy,” said Jesse A. Brewer, president of the commission.

Commissioner Stanley Sheinbaum said Williams has sent a clear signal to the department that there is a new person in charge.

“This is a different administration,” he said. “He has taken a position and sent a message that this kind of action will not be put up with. It was the same way he acted the other night at Florence and Normandie,” referring to police response to a disturbance Monday at the intersection.

The district attorney is investigating the case to determine if criminal charges should be filed. And the Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched its own investigation to determine if Daniels’ civil rights were violated. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will review the the FBI investigation to determine if the case will be prosecuted.