LAPD Officer Accused of Lying About Traffic Stop

A Los Angeles police officer was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday for allegedly lying in court about why he stopped a motorist who turned out to be a gun-toting ex-convict.

Douglas Beard, 31, a member of the force since 1995, was charged with conspiring to violate civil rights law, a felony, and depriving a citizen of his rights under the color of law, a misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces up to 11 years in prison.

The stop occurred in the early hours on June 20, 1995, when Thyjuan Taplin was driving in South-Central Los Angeles.

According to the indictment, Beard and his 77th Street Division training officer, Edward P. Ruiz, 36, falsely claimed they saw Taplin run a stop sign and pulled him over.

After being ordered out of his car, Taplin tried to run away, tossing a gun as he fled. He was captured a short time later and booked for being a felon in possession of a gun.

Beard was accused in the indictment of lying about the circumstances surrounding the stop when he testified at two court hearings for Taplin.

Taplin’s lawyer argued that his client could not have been pulled over for running a stop sign because there was no stop sign there. Nevertheless, the police prevailed.

After losing that battle, Taplin negotiated a deal with the prosecutor and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

The conduct of Beard and Ruiz later came under official scrutiny. The district attorney’s office was developing a case against them when it was learned that federal authorities had Ruiz under investigation in a separate case involving perjured testimony. The Taplin probe was then turned over to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Last month, Ruiz pleaded guilty in federal court to violating the civil rights of another man he falsely arrested on suspicion of gun possession in April 1995.

In exchange for Ruiz’s guilty plea, federal prosecutors dropped a criminal charge against him in connection with the Taplin case. He faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in January.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Steven M. Arkow said Beard has agreed to surrender, but no date has been set.