CHP Officers Accused of Kidnapping

Two California Highway Patrol officers who are suspected of picking up a homeless man on four occasions, dousing him with pepper spray and leaving him more than 15 miles away, were arrested and booked on suspicion of kidnapping and weapons violations Thursday.

Wade Allen and Temujin Jones are accused of four counts of kidnapping, exhibiting a deadly weapon and the threat to commit a crime that would result in death or great bodily injury. Jones also was booked on suspicion of illegal use of a tear gas weapon.

The officers, who were released on bail Thursday, both joined the department in August 1995 and worked out of the West Los Angeles station. They are currently on administrative leave, and the department is attempting to dismiss them, said Chief Ed Gomez, commander of the CHP’s southern division.

The investigation of the two officers began when a 52-year-old homeless man, who requested anonymity, approached a CHP motorcycle officer and said he wanted to file a complaint against Allen and Jones, Gomez said. The homeless man claimed the two officers had harassed and threatened him.

The man had been “hanging out” in the Culver City area, Gomez said, when he was approached, on four occasions, by Allen and Jones. The two officers reportedly placed the man in their vehicle and “drove him 15 to 20 miles away and dropped him off.”

The only reason Gomez gave was “harassment.”

“They threatened him, they brandished their weapons and, on at least one occasion, used pepper spray,” Gomez said.

On April 15, the men were placed on administrative leave and relieved of duty, Gomez said. Both lost their peace officer powers and had their weapons confiscated.

The CHP, Gomez said, “has begun the process of dismissing them.”

“The good news is, this is unusual,” Gomez said. “I’ve never faced a situation like this. We’ve taken it very seriously.”