City to Fight Claim by Officer in King Case

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to fight the $12,000 workers’ compensation award a judge recently handed to the rookie officer who was fired for his role in the 1991 beating of motorist Rodney G. King.

In legal papers, the city contends that while Timothy E. Wind’s psychological and stomach injuries stemmed from his job at the Police Department, taxpayers should not have to pay for his treatment because Wind’s conduct was “unequivocally outside the course of his employment.” Wind was fired after the videotaped beating.

Workers’ compensation Judge Mark Khan ruled last month that even though Wind violated the Los Angeles Police Department’s rules regarding use of force, he had a legitimate claim against the city because he was “doing an authorized act . . . in an unauthorized manner.” In addition to the $12,000 in medical expenses, Khan ruled that Wind could be entitled to further medical treatment as well as pension benefits from the city.

Although the award represents a relatively small amount of money, Assistant City Atty. Garrett Kuehn said council members wanted to take a strong stand because the case had such resonance for the Los Angeles community.