Injured LAPD Officers Stay in Line of Duty

More than 25 years ago then-Los Angeles patrolman Mike Kriha responded to a radio call: “See the man. Found property.” A business owner had called police about a box left in front of his store.

As Kriha and his partner opened the metal box, six sticks of dynamite exploded, blowing off Kriha’s left hand and his partner’s right hand. “Back then, if you were injured on the job you would be asked to retire, or you would retire on your own,” Kriha said. “But when I was laying up on the gurney I told them: ‘If you want to get rid of me you’d better get the chief to fire me, because I’m not retiring.’ ” Kriha spent three weeks in the hospital and three months away from his job.

But upon his return Kriha was given two undercover assignments and promoted to detective. Since 1983 Kriha, 53, has worked in the Criminal Conspiracy Division, tracking bomb makers and bomb threats. “I . . . find it ironic,” he said.

Kriha is just one of dozens of LAPD officers who have been injured in the line of duty and remained on the job. Two LAPD agencies, the Behavioral Science Services unit and the Temporary Assignment and Rehabilitation Program (TARP) work to reclaim LAPD personnel after traumatic injuries.

The TARP director, Lt. Luther Lutz, said his program takes officers off the street after mental or physical injuries and temporarily reassigns them to desk jobs. “We don’t hold it against them--sometimes people have psychological problems just like they have a broken leg.”

Ideally officers stay in TARP less than nine months, he said.

“We see officers who are injured in the line of duty whose commanding officers refer them to us,” said Gerald Sweet, acting director of Behavioral Science Services. “We work with them to see what is the most appropriate work assignment.”

In choosing a new assignment for an injured officer, behavioral science specialists and other LAPD officials factor in the officer’s physical condition, psychological state and work history and try to come up with the best possible fit.

Officer Archie Nagao, 41, was shot through the throat in a gunfight with two jewelry thieves in Chinatown 13 years ago. His partner was killed and Nagao did not return to work for two months.

“I couldn’t sleep very well and I had a lot of anxiety,” said Nagao, who sought help from Behavioral Science Services.

Now Nagao, who still does not have full use of his neck, keeps track of LAPD overtime. Nagao confessed he misses being in the field. “But I’m doing a good job right now--maybe one of these days.”

Some injured LAPD officers land challenging detective assignments. Richard Householder became a North Hollywood detective after he was shot in the neck with a .44-caliber pistol during a routine traffic stop in 1991. His left arm was virtually paralyzed for more than a month, but with regular physical therapy he regained use of the arm. Householder went straight back to work, but his arm still went numb occasionally.

“Then I got involved in a real bad accident,” he said. A drunk driver hit his patrol car and put him out of commission for four months. When he returned, Householder spent six months serving subpoenas but recently became a detective.

“I always wanted to go through Metro and SWAT, but there’s a greater chance that I would get into a serious physical altercation,” he said. “The doctors said that could leave me paralyzed for good--I am not up to taking that chance.”