Compton Chief Accused of Negligence, Evidence Loss

Compton city officials have accused Police Chief Hourie Taylor of “negligently and / or intentionally mishandling” two kilos of missing cocaine and improperly storing an unspecified amount of the drug in a locker under his control.

The personnel complaint also accuses Taylor of maintaining lax oversight of the department’s property room. A handgun disappeared from the property room and was allegedly used in a 1997 shooting in which a Long Beach police officer was wounded.

The 13-count complaint, accusing Taylor of a wide range of misconduct and seeking his termination, is the first official indication why the city abruptly put him on paid leave five months ago.

Yet the document--filed last week but obtained by The Times on Tuesday--provides few details to support its accusations. The filing probably will heighten political tensions that have sparked a recall effort against Mayor Omar Bradley, whom some blame for ousting Taylor and a subordinate captain.

Taylor on Tuesday denied any wrongdoing and said he looked forward to clearing himself. The complaint calls for a personnel hearing by Feb. 10.

“I categorically deny all of it,” said the chief, a Compton native and 30-year department veteran. Taylor called the charges a “fishing expedition.”

Compton officials Tuesday did not return calls for comment.

Taylor and Capt. Percy Perrodin have been on paid leave since August. Perrodin said Tuesday that he has yet to be informed why he was removed.

Both men are scheduled to appear in Compton Superior Court next week for a hearing on an injunction they filed to force the city to explain their job status.

Supporters of the two department veterans--including the association representing Compton police officers--contend that their removals are politically motivated.

Critics have accused Bradley of attempting to oust anyone who does not agree with his policies.

Earlier this week, the Compton Police Officers Assn. announced that it had overwhelmingly given a “no confidence” vote to Bradley and City Manager John D. Johnson.

The group had planned to present that vote at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, but city officials called off the meeting Tuesday morning. About 50 demonstrators turned up anyway, carrying picket signs reading “Stop the Corruption” and “No More Omar.”

Det. Ed Aguirre, president of the 120-member group, said Tuesday that the city’s complaint against Taylor was “bogus.”

“If the chief had some kind of dope locker--well, there were other people below him, and why are they still working?” Aguirre asked.

Supporters of the recall against Bradley have criticized the mayor over his removal of the two police officials and for engaging in what they say is poor leadership and questionable actions.

Among other things, the recall proponents question a vote by Bradley to award $50,000 to a meals program run by his aunt, who also is a City Council member.

Bradley was unavailable Tuesday for comment.

The charges against Taylor range from the cocaine and handgun accusations to alleged sexual harassment of a female officer and improper use of federal police funds.

The city’s complaint states that two kilos of cocaine were missing from a storage vault, but does not specify when the drug disappeared or who took it.

The same is true for the cocaine allegedly found in the locker controlled by the chief. The complaint does not detail the amount or say where it came from.

The city contends that the handgun missing from the property room was used in the July 1997 shooting of Long Beach motorcycle Officer Brian Watt. He was wounded in the head and leg by a reputed Compton gang member during a traffic stop, but later returned to duty.

The complaint says the gun was booked into evidence in 1986, but was removed sometime later “without authority by person or persons unknown.” Long Beach police said Tuesday that they had traced the handgun back to the Compton department.

Taylor, according to the city, failed to maintain “reasonable and proper” accounting and documenting procedures for firearms stored in the property room.