Ex-Officer Enters Not-Guilty Plea in Beating
Former LAPD Officer Ethan Cohan pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday to five criminal charges in his alleged involvement in the beating of a reputed gang member in 1998.
Cohan, 30, is accused of misconduct, along with disgraced former Officer Rafael Perez and two others who pleaded last week to lesser charges in the case. This is the latest in a series of criminal cases stemming from the LAPD’s Rampart Division corruption scandal.
After Cohan’s arraignment, Superior Court Judge Stephen O’Neil unsealed documents revealing details of the plea agreement with former LAPD Officers Manuel Chavez, 30, and Shawn Frederick Gomez, 28.
Chavez and Gomez have agreed to plead no contest to criminal charges stemming from the alleged beating of Gabriel Aguirre in exchange for the prosecution’s recommendation of probation.
As part of the deal, the two men have agreed to cooperate fully and truthfully with the probe into the alleged beating.
Chavez pleaded no contest to assault under color of authority. Gomez pleaded no contest to filing a false police report.
While both crimes are felonies, the district attorney’s office will not oppose the reduction of the conviction to a misdemeanor once the two successfully complete the terms of their probation, according to the document.
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