Once the list of forty-four "problem" officers was published, many of those officers did not appear in the news again. Two of the named officers, however, subsequently made news in violent incidents resulting in two fatalities. In July 1995, one officer who appeared on the list yet was assigned to a confrontational anti-gang unit, shot and killed a fourteen-year-old in July 1995.70 The officer claimed the young man pointed a weapon at him, but the weapon was later found on the opposite side of a fence several feet from the suspect. In June 1996, the Police Commission cleared the officer of any wrongdoing, no local criminal prosecution took place, and federal prosecutors wrote in a January 1997 letter that they were "unable to authorize investigation."71 The second officer shot and killed a man who had a plastic toy gun in his rear waistband.72 The officer had been sued for two previous, serious abuse incidents - in one case, he allegedly beat a suspect with his fists, and in another he fatally beat a suspect on the head with his flashlight; the city reportedly paid more than $400,000 after juries found in favor of plaintiffs in both cases. The LAPD ruled the shooting justified. The officer resigned and went to work as a jail guard in California.73

Media attention and policy reviews followed a three-day period in March 1996 when three men in vehicles were shot and killed by LAPD officers in three separate incidents in west San Fernando Valley.74 In two of these incidents, officers whowere apparently not properly trained to deal with fleeing suspects, put themselves in harm's way and then shot the men. In one case, William Betzner, age forty-three, was stopped by officers on March 9 and fled to his car to drive away.75 An officer reached into the car, and Betzner continued driving; the officer reportedly shot Betzner to make him stop the car. According to the autopsy reports Betzner was under the influence of drugs. In another case, officers patrolling on bicycles in Canoga Park attempted to question twenty-nine-year-old Eduardo Hurtado and the passengers in his car on March 11, 1996.76 Officers claimed the front-seat passenger reached for his waistband, and an officer reached into the car. Hurtado reportedly drove off with the officer holding onto the vehicle, and the officer shot Hurtado as he drove. Hurtado, who according to the autopsy report was intoxicated, died from a single gunshot to his head.77

In another case, police attempted to stop Jaime Jaurequi, age twenty-three, when he led them on an hour-long chase on March 9, 1996.78 He was reportedly not armed and not involved in the crime they attempted to question him about. Officers stated that it was when he attempted to back into one of the patrol cars, after he drove onto a dead-end street, that officers opened fire, shooting twenty-three times and hitting him ten times in the shoulder, back, chest and arms.

All of the shootings were ruled "within policy," although police officials acknowledged that officers are trained not to reach into vehicles, as officers did in two of the March 1996 incidents.79 And in the Betzner case, the two officers involved had less than three years' experience between them. Police officials and one City Council member expressed concern that a high rate of resignations and retirements, combined with a hiring push, had led to inexperienced officers being paired with other rookies. Said one unnamed LAPD captain, "[I]t's almost like theblind leading the blind."80 And LAPD Lt. Anthony Alba told reporters, "[W]e don't have enough training officers to go around."81 Civil lawsuits are known to be pending in the Jaurequi and Hurtado cases.

In a January 1997 letter from the Justice Department to attorneys concerned about police abuse of Latinos, it was disclosed that the Civil Rights Division was investigating the Hurtado case. The same letter stated that the Justice Department would not initiate an investigation into the Jaurequi case.82

70 Alan Abrahamson, "What has happened to the `LAPD 44'?" Los Angeles Times, October 15, 1995.

71 "Officer cleared in fatal shooting of 14-year-old," Los Angeles Times, June 8, 1996. Telephone interview with attorney Luis Carrillo, August 27, 1997 and January 2, 1997 letter from Deval Patrick, Civil Rights Division, to Antonia Tellez.

72 Abrahamson, "What has happened to the `LAPD 44'?" Los Angeles Times, October 15, 1995.

73 Ibid.

74 Beth Shuster, "LAPD panel to review 3 fatal March shootings," Los Angeles Times, June 1, 1996; Beth Shuster, "In wake of four shootings, lengthy internal reviews are underway," Los Angeles Times, March 17, 1996; John Johnson and Beth Shuster, "Police to review use of rookies in wake of shootings," Los Angeles Times, March 15, 1996.

75 Ibid.

76 Ibid.

77 Shuster, "LAPD panel to review 3 fatal March shootings," Los Angeles Times, June 1, 1996; Telephone interview with attorney Luis Carrillo, September 4, 1997.

78 Ibid.

79 Although not clear from press reports, it does not appear that the passenger in Hurtado's car who allegedly "reached for his waistband" was armed.

80 John Johnson and Beth Shuster, "Police to review use of rookies in wake of shootings," Los Angeles Times, March 15, 1996. The same captain estimated that 40 percent of the force has less than four years' experience.

81 John Johnson and Beth Shuster, "Police shootings raise questions about `3 Strikes' Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1996.

82 January 2, 1997 letter from Deval Patrick, Civil Rights Division, to Antonia Tellez.