Latino Activists Condemn Council Vote to Pay Judgment Against Police Chief

A group of Latino community activists Friday condemned the City Council’s decision to bail out Police Chief Daryl F. Gates from having to personally pay $170,000 to an East Los Angeles family that was roughed up by his officers.

Representatives of the Mexican American Political Assn., the United Farm Workers and other groups accused the council of insensitivity to Latinos and reiterated their call for Mayor Tom Bradley to fire Gates.

“We as the citizens of this city are having to pay for the totally irresponsible actions on the part of the LAPD,” Raul Ruiz of the Mexican American Political Assn., one of the nation’s largest Latino political groups, said at a news conference outside the downtown Federal Courthouse. He said the council should abide by the wishes of the federal court jury, which held Gates personally liable for the actions of his officers as they searched for a murder weapon.

“Sad to say that two Chicanos--Molina and Alatorre--support Chief Rambo Gates,” said Virginia Reade of El Este de Los Angeles Democratic Club. City Council members Richard Alatorre and Gloria Molina could not be reached for comment. An aide to Alatorre said he had not been present for Wednesday’s vote.

The council, meeting behind closed doors Wednesday, unanimously voted to allot $255,000 to pay the judgment against Gates if the city loses the case on appeal. In civil cases, defendants are required to put aside 1 1/2 times the amount of a judgment while appealing.

Jurors in October awarded Jessie Larez and his family $90,503 in punitive and actual damages against six police officers who raided their home on June 13, 1986. The council previously authorized the $90,503 payment should the city lose the case on appeal.

Earlier this month, the jury ordered Gates to pay the family another $170,000 after the chief said, outside the courtroom, that Larez was “probably lucky” that only his nose was broken after he rushed the officers who invaded his home.

Council members said Gates’ responsibility for the raid was a part of his official capacity as police chief.

Stephen Yagman, attorney for the Larez family, has said that his clients will accept payment only if it comes from Gates’ own pocket.

The council is “sending a message to all racist cops, ‘It’s all right to brutalize Mexicans,’ ” Reade said. By acting in secret, the council was “most cowardly and undemocratic,” she added. “How else are we to judge those we vote for if we don’t know what they base their decisions on?”

Many of the same Latino activists last week called for Gates’ dismissal, calling the chief of more than 10 years a “Rambo” responsible for racist policies toward Latinos.

Police spokesman Cmdr. William Booth said Friday that critics of the chief and the City Council should “find out for themselves just who has been terrorizing the community.”