Expert Details
Police and Jail Procedures and Practices; Use of Force in Patrol and in the Jail
ID: 726584
California, USA
Designated as a police practices expert by the Los Angeles County Superior Court Committee of Superior Court Judges who have been appointed to maintain a Panel of Expert Witnesses. Expert has opined in criminal defense cases for the Public Defender's Office in Riverside County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, Kern County, San Luis Obispo, Monterey County, Orange County, and for the Federal Defender's Office. Expert has opined in a criminal prosecution cases for the District Attorney's Office in Merced County and in Monterey County.
He served as a Lieutenant for various Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department patrol stations as well as jail facilities throughout Los Angeles County, and commanded large-scale operations during major natural disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes, and critical missing persons, etc. Expert has experience working in the Los Angeles County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), during a number of operations. Expert was in charge of the Operations section of one of the three Area Command Teams for the Sheriff's Department.
Expert has written a published department wide safety bulletin for patrol personnel on surviving wildfires and other patrol-related emergency procedures and operations plans. Other positions held include Sergeant (supervising 20 - 200+ deputies per shift), Narcotics Investigator (co-sworn as a federal agent with federal powers of arrest), Detective, Patrol Deputy (criminal units, traffic units, D.U.I. enforcement units, plain clothes burglary suppression, and patrol Field Training Officer (FTO).
Over the course of his 30-year career, in order to control violent/assaultive subjects in the field and in the jails, besides using de-escalation skills, Expert has used and investigated the use of: a show of force, personal weapons, baton, sap, TARP and Hobble restraints, Mace, Pepper Spray, "Clear-Out" gas, TASER, flashlight (as a weapon of necessity), less-lethal munitions (Sting Balls, Stinger rounds, 40mm impact rounds), and deadly force.
Expert analyzed use of force in patrol and in the jails, including the use of the TASER, by his subordinates to determine if the force used was proper, reasonable, and within policy, performing many full "force reviews" of deputy personnel as well as investigating complaints from private citizens and inmates concerning allegations of deputy misconduct. As part of these investigations and reviews, Expert identified training needs and took appropriate action. Expert has trained his subordinates in the cognitive aspects of the use of force, including conducting training scenarios for subordinates wherein handguns, shotguns, and AR-15 rifles were brought into the jail for lethal force situations. Expert has conducted firearms inspections of his subordinates' duty weapons as instructed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Firearms Training Unit.
As a patrol sergeant and patrol lieutenant, Expert ensured his deputies' field arrests complied with department policy and the law (elements of the crime(s) and probable cause for the arrest).
Expert commanded and investigated numerous vehicle and foot pursuits and was a participating member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Pursuit Review Evaluation Committee. He has instructed his subordinates in the cognitive aspects of emergency Code 3, emergency driving.
Expert investigated numerous traffic accidents involving emergency and non-emergency responses and has driven ambulances and marked patrol cars code 3 (red lights and siren) thousands of times as an Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, Deputy, Sergeant, and Lieutenant.
Commanded numerous high-risk barricaded suspect operations, approving the use of the SWAT Teams and K9s after dangerous suspects when necessary and additionally ensured that all staff followed proper protocol and procedures concerning high-risk incidents, barricaded suspects, officer involved shootings, vehicle pursuits, etc.
In a custody environment, Expert attended the week long POST certified jail management course and was the responsible jail manager for the Lancaster station jail that held up to 54 prisoners and received over 14,000 bookings a year.
Expert has commanded responses to over 100 major inmate disturbances/riots within large correctional facilities (up to 4,000 inmates). He dealt with barricaded inmates, forced cell removals, medical emergencies, sobering and safety cell temporary housing, fires, escapes, evacuations, and earthquakes. Expert has experience with the use of the restraint chair, three and four point medical restraints, the use of the Total Appendage Restraint Position (TARP), and is certified in the use of the WRAP restraint. He ensured that proper inmate discipline hearings were carried out by sergeant personnel as mandated by California Title-15 Regulations. Expert lectured (approximately five to six times) at the POST certified Jail Incident Command School and twice at the annual national conventions of the American Jail Association on jail emergencies, major disturbances (riots), and cell
extractions.
Expert commanded responses to attempted and completed jail suicides by hanging, cutting, and jumping; he authored and instituted a policy that resulted in the reduction of feigned jail suicides by 50%. Expert also developed a policy that reduced the use of force by 50% when dealing with recalcitrant/hostile inmates. Expert has personally rescued three inmates who he found hanging in their cells.
Years of service as a custody Sergeant and Lieutenant have left Expert well-versed in jail culture and in the policies and procedures of classification (including upgrading inmate security levels to administrative segregation and housing area racial demographics), housing of inmates, protecting inmates from harm by other inmates and in ensuring that safety and security checks and inmate medical care policies and procedures were followed.
Expert has provided expert testimony in the overlap of responsibilities between the medical staff and correctional staff in the delivery of custodial medical care.
In the later part of 2010 the custody training unit from the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department asked Expert to review and comment on policy and procedures for civilian jail employees.
Expert has provided media entities with information and perspective concerning law enforcement policies and procedures. He has designed and written emergency procedures, evacuation plans, response plans, and operations plans. In the private sect has planned and managed security at large-scale events and has provided close-in protection for individuals. He has also conducted assessments to gauge effectiveness of security measures and recommended adjustments to reduce or eliminate security breaches.
A lifelong learner, Expert's frequent continuing education/training consists, in part, of: use of force, both less-than-lethal and lethal, TASER, firearms, less-than-lethal weapons, excited delirium, mental illness, jail suicides, suicides in the field, as well as "suicide by cop," Arrest-Related and In-Custody Death Investigative Specialist training, deliberate indifference topics, civilian on civilian self-defense, Title-II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how it relates to arresting, transporting, and jailing of persons in wheelchairs, and persons with other disabilities as defined by the ADA.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 2004 | Degree: Assoc of Science | Subject: Admin of Justice | Institution: College of the Canyons |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 2008 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:Consultation services to law firms, public agencies (law enforcement, public defenders, and prosecutors) and media.Highlights: • Provided information to Sheriffs Department, about how to conduct jail safety checks. • Met with the Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of how to give explanation of the importance of evaluating "fight dynamics" in police use of force cases. • Use of force expert testimony, which included the use of the TASER, was cited in 2012, published opinion. In this opinion, the Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment for the plaintiff, in part due to testimony. • Provided recommendations to reduce allegations of improper use of force in Los Angeles County Jails to a team of attorneys from working on behalf of the Los Angeles County Citizen's Commission on Jail Violence. • Provided technical advice to author during manuscript development for a novel involving prisons. • Provided technical advice during the script development for the movie, The Assassination of a Citizen. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1996 to 2008 | Employer: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept | Title: Lieutenant | Department: |
Responsibilities:As a patrol and jail watch commander, successfully taught criminal law, narcotics, officer safety, patrol procedures and tactics, and as a certified law enforcement ethics instructor, taught numerous ethics classes to patrol personnel. Was a department designated mentor to young deputy sheriffs. Performed numerous skills training for emergencies; repetition of drills needed to accustom staff to any and all emergent situations. Has instructed deputies and sergeants from everything to the law to report writing to safety tactics. Trained newly promoted sergeants in leadership, supervision skills, and the tactical science of commanding high risk field incidents and jail disturbances/riots. Lectured to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Custody Incident Command School and to the American Jail Association in various other states on commanding responses to jail disturbances/riots and to cases of violent barricaded jail inmates. Successfully coached subordinates to pass promotional exams.Expert has conducted over 1,800 uses of force investigations, over 1,000 personnel/citizen/inmate complaint investigations, and commanded over 17 high risk vehicle pursuits. He is an experienced on-scene senior officer commanding responses to over 100 major inmate disturbances/riots within a large, violent jail (4000+ inmates), as well as commanding high risk patrol incidents. Expert has detective and narcotics investigation experience. Has decades of experience supervising up to 200 deputies per shift. Has years of practice managing command post operations and in emergency preparedness such as in planning for earthquakes and terrorism events, etc. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1992 to 1996 | Employer: Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station | Title: Sergeant | Department: |
Responsibilities: |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1989 to 1992 | Employer: North County Correctional Facility | Title: Sergeant | Department: |
Responsibilities: |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1986 to 1989 | Employer: Los Angeles County Sheriff Detective Division | Title: Narcotics Investigator | Department: |
Responsibilities:(co-sworn as a federal agent for border interdiction) |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1986 to 1986 | Employer: Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station | Title: Detective | Department: |
Responsibilities: |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1978 to 1986 | Employer: Los Angeles County | Title: Custody Deputy, Patrol Deputy, and Field Training Officer | Department: |
Responsibilities:Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station (Patrol deputy+ FTO)West Hollywood Station (Patrol deputy) Carson Sheriff Station (Patrol deputy) Los Angeles Men's Central Jail (Custody deputy) Los Angeles County Sheriff Academy |
Career Accomplishments
Associations / Societies |
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- Professional Peace Officer's Association (PPOA) - Association of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) - International Police Association (IPA) - National Tactical Officer’s Association - Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) - Institute for the Prevention of In Custody Deaths (IPICD) - California Narcotic Officers' Association (CNOA) (former member) |
Licenses / Certifications |
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Certified Litigation Specialist (CLS) Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) -2013 The Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) is the largest law enforcement litigation information organization in the nation. Continues to actively participate in this professional organization, attending seminars in police practices as well as jail practices and civil rights laws dealing with law enforcement. Received CLS after completing required training in: • Lethal and Less Lethal Use of Force • Arrest-Related, Excited Delirium, Sudden In-Custody Death, Jail Suicide • Management, Oversight, and Monitoring of Use of Force, including ECW (TASER) Operations and Post-Incident Forensics • Discipline and Internal Investigations Certified Instructor in the Prevention and Management of Suicide in Law Enforcement (patrol, including "suicide by cop," and in the jails) Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths (IPICD) - 2014 Private Security Guard And Protective Agent - professionally trained and certified to perform security guard duties with and without an exposed firearm, Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), Sacramento, California - 2008 CALIFORNIA POST-COMMISSION CERTIFICATES Peace Officer Basic Certificate Basic - Specialized Certificate Intermediate and Advanced Certificates Specialized Training Certificates Sergeant Supervisory Peace Officer Certificate Lieutenant Middle Management Certificate Jail Management Certificate Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) (including emergency driving training) Certified Los Angeles County Mobile Intensive Care Unit Paramedic |
Awards / Recognition |
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MAJOR AWARDS • Outstanding Service to Community from the City of Santa Clarita for actions taken during a shootout with a sniper in a residential neighborhood • Meritorious Service Award from Sheriff Sherman Block for actions taken in providing emergency preparedness procedures for the City of Santa Clarita • Outstanding Service to Community from the City of Santa Clarita for actions taken during the Northridge earthquake • Sheriff’s Commendation for actions taken during the North County Correctional Facility jail major inmate disturbance (riot) involving over 2000 inmates • Sheriff’s Commendation and Fire Department Commendation for actions taken in overseeing command post operations during the massive Los Angeles wildfires. • Recipient of more than 100 other formal or written commendations Note: Selected from the more than 100 formal and/or written commendations in recognition of Expert's law enforcement and emergency/rescue service to the community. |
Medical / Professional |
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Los Angeles County paramedic 2006 Medical training and experience Basic Red Cross First Aid, Advanced Red Cross First Aid, Basic Red Cross First Aid Instructor, Certified Hospital Orderly |
Publications and Patents Summary |
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Expert has written a published department wide safety bulletin for patrol personnel on surviving wildfires and other patrol-related emergency procedures and operations plans. Publications: 10 Contributing book author: 1 Media Interviews since start of company: Television news - local and national - in excess 7 Newspaper/Magazine - in excess of. 161 Radio - U.S., New Zealand, and Canadian radio. 7 |
Additional Experience
Expert Witness Experience |
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A complete list of all of Expert's cases as well as a complete list of all of his testimony is available. Use of force: Patrol; Custody (jail and prison); Less-lethal and lethal; Carotid Lateral Neck Restraint v. "Throttling"; Citizen v. citizen self-defense; Citizen's right to resist excessive force by the police; Shooting at moving vehicles; De-escalation techniques; Pepper spray decontamination protocol; Use of and post-use analysis of the TASER (ECD-ECW) and 0/C spray (pepper spray) in patrol and in custody Police practices - patrol and custody: Handcuffing and handcuffing injuries; Arrest warrant operations; Reasonable Suspicion+ Probable Cause Detention and Arrest; Exigent v. non-exigent, warrantless police entry; Incidents involving the mentally ill Jail and prison/custody: Inmate housing - Classification issues; Jail attempt and completed suicide; Forced cell removal; Major inmate disturbances (riots); Contraband; Use of the Restraint Chair, Sobering and Safety Cells; Emergency vehicle operations (Code 3 driving); Foot pursuits; Evidence collection in firearms cases; Evidence collection and chain of evidence in narcotic cases; Supervision of police pursuits; Incident and arrest report writing; Jail-made weapons - carrying, using, and manufacture Food service; Inmate safety checks; Inmate medical care - access, sick call, inmate refusals, policies; Jail medical and mental health policy/procedures at intake and housing; Solicited v. non-solicited inmate reading material; Gang v. non-Gang attacks on staff; Jail - Prison culture (Politics); Recalcitrant, Hostile, Mentally Ill Inmates Narcotics: Possession for sales; Under the influence; Minimum use quantities; Sales; Recalcitrant, Hostile, Mentally Ill Inmates; Possession (street and jail/prison); LSD, cocaine, heroin, barbs, PCP, methamphetamine, marijuana; "Rectal stashes" and safe gathering of evidence Use of private security guards: Deployment+ duties, including lethal and less lethal use of force |
Training / Seminars |
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A complete list is available on his CV. Over the course of his 30-year career, in order to control violent/assaultive subjects in the field and in the jails, besides using de-escalation skills, Expert has used and investigated the use of: a show of force, personal weapons, baton, sap, TARP and Hobble restraints, Mace, Pepper Spray, "Clear-Out" gas, TASER, flashlight (as a weapon of necessity), less-lethal munitions (Sting Balls, Stinger rounds, 40mm impact rounds), and deadly force. Expert analyzed use of force in patrol and in the jails, including the use of the TASER, by his subordinates to determine if the force used was proper, reasonable, and within policy, performing many full "force reviews" of deputy personnel as well as investigating complaints from private citizens and inmates concerning allegations of deputy misconduct. As part of these investigations and reviews, Expert identified training needs and took appropriate action. Expert has trained his subordinates in the cognitive aspects of the use of force, including conducting training scenarios for subordinates wherein handguns, shotguns, and AR-15 rifles were brought into the jail for lethal force situations. Expert has conducted firearms inspections of his subordinates' duty weapons as instructed by a County Sheriffs Department Firearms Training Unit. Over span of 30 years, has instructed and trained personnel in: - Use of force in patrol & use of force in the jails - Defining use of force - Unnecessary and excessive use of force - When and when not to use force - How to avoid using force - De-escalation techniques - How to reassess the need for further force - Intervening to stop fellow officers from using excessive force - How to verbally report the use of force - How to write a use of force report - Importance of actions prior to use of force - Proper handcuffing - Use of force - when/when not to use the TASER - Tactical command skill in tense situations - Proper patrol procedures - Emergency skills preparedness and training - Officer safety - Narcotics - Incident report writing - Handling of public interactions - California penal codes - Supervision and leadership skills Twice selected as a Subject Matter Expert to conduct promotional oral exams for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. As a Lieutenant, lectured at the Sheriff's academy on the POST certified topic of Crimes Against Persons and officer safety "gun takeaway" case studies, and at the POST Jail Incident Command School on the topics of jail disturbances/riots, cell extractions, and use of less-lethal weapons. Training received while with the Sheriff's Department Some training, such as various firearms training, was assigned many times over 30 years. Other training such as cultural sensitivity, CPR, and administrative topics, etc., is not listed here. Use of Force and Firearms/Weapons: combat firearms, laser firearms special weapons/tactics, Baton, AR-15 rifle, Bennelli shotgun, sting ball - less lethal, stinger 12 - less lethal, Arwen training - less lethal, special weapons - less lethal, Beretta, pepper spray, combat shotgun, firearms shoot, night shoot, TASER Cert for Sgt and Lt, handgun fundamentals and handgun/shotgun assault, firearms, advanced combat, holster transition, target ID - shoot/don't shoot, off duty firearms off duty issues, off duty weapons, laser sighting, Advanced firearms for detectives by LAPD John Pride, combat trap, combat trap PPC Jail/Custody: jail security, jail management and 24 hours training on how to perform policy/procedures jail audits, escape review, jail intelligence, 40 hour jail operations, jail fire safety, jail security issues, escape review, POST jail manager 40 hour course, hostage issues, hostage takeover, fire/smoke situations, medical emergencies. Emergency: emergency operations center, emergency preparedness and procedures, emergency mobilization, earthquake preparedness, disaster preparedness, haz-mat scene management, earthquake Various: pursuit policy, emergency driving, disabled/mentally ill, crisis negotiation, squad tactics, how to debrief critical incidents, use of force+ false report situations, fraud cell phone, missing persons, MDT field operations, terrorism CSTI, WMD operations, gang overview, NIMS emergency training, suicide intervention, fire life safety, Tactical Science Course, executive protection basics, threat assessment - night, flashlight techniques, SWAT issues, Sexual Assault Inv. School, racial profiling, respiratory protection Narcotics: CSTI, clandestine labs meth/PCP, Basic POST narcotics, 40 hour narcotics class - LASO, 8 hour cocaine class CNOA Dr. McGee, 1150 H&S- LAPD - Dr. Tenent, Men's Central Jail hospital floor for PCP under the influence suspects, in-service training, and interviewing inmate drug uses/sellers. Three years HQ Narcotics Bureau, co-sworn as a federal agent. Written over 100 search warrants and served hundreds more. Testified as a narcotics expert over 100 times in many different courts. Leadership/Command/Management: command post operations, national incident command #100, #200, #300, #400, #700 and #800, transitional command, critical incident command, command issues, executive command school #1 and #2, incident management system, incident prevention, risk assessment, risk management issues, incident command system, deputy leadership school, field training and leadership classes, POST sergeants supervisory, personnel performance index, POST middle management, COPS - Community Oriented Policing Services, case analysis #1 and #2. More training info available upon request. Extensive list. |
Other Relevant Experience |
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Ability to train law enforcement and jail personnel. Also, In 2007, Expert joined Envioservices, Inc. (Environmental, health and safety consulting company) as an emergency planning specialist. In addition to consulting on emergency planning concerns, he also conducts Department of Homeland Security Vulnerability Assessment and Site Security Plans. Expert has experience lecturing private business and community groups about earthquake preparedness. Lieutenant Expert is a current team member of the Disaster Response Cadre for Dewberry which is a nationally known disaster response and mitigation, and engineering company based out of Virginia. |
Fields of Expertise
expert witness, law enforcement, police, police activity, police custody death, police misconduct, police operations, police practice, police procedure, jail, jail riot, crowd control, false allegation, false arrest, jail management, jail safety, jail standard, law enforcement tactic, law enforcement training, physical restraint, police brutality, police failure to protect, police interrogation, police power, police weapon, prison, public safety, correctional facility health care, police liability