2 Top Cops At Malibu Lost Hills Ousted As Sheriffs Office Roils In Controversy
Written by 991KBU on January 29, 2019
At least two of the top cops at the Malibu Lost Hills Sheriffs station have been reassigned.
Lieutenant Jim Royal … and Captain Thui Wright … have both been removed as the top field law enforcement officers in Malibu.
Transferred out …
Wright was on medical leave during the Woolsey Fire … Royal was the number two in command at the local sheriff’s office.
And that is the office that was in charge during the evacuations … a controversial blockade that has been roundly criticized by Malibu residents … and city officials.
This development broke last night … there is no indication yet that this was a reaction to the evacuation controversy.
The new L A County sheriff alex Villanueva has not commented on the brouhaha in Malibu … which happened just after he was elected to unseat the incumbent sheriff … but before he was sworn in.
Just after being sworn in … Villanueva called the department a failed institution.
He fired 18 top officials at the department headquarters … and ordered nearly 500 lieutenants, captains and commanders to hand in resumes pending possible reassignment.
Villanueva will be on the hot seat today in Los Angeles … where it appears that three of the five L A County supervisors are ready to publicly rebuke the sheriff for another major personnel decision.
The sheriff has rehired a deputy who was fired by the previous sheriff for beating up his girlfriend severely.
The deputy had a domestic fight with the woman … and she told investigators he choked her … ripped off her pants and broke down a bathroom door as she hid in fear.
After getting fired … the deputy went to work as Villanueva’s campaign strategist and driver.
The woman later refused to testify in court … domestic violence charges were dropped.
But a county administrative board found the charges credible … and upheld the firing.
The new sheriff gave a badge back to the disgraced deputy … who now works in South Los Angeles.
And the sheriff changed policy on deputies who beat up domestic partners.
He said any discipline of deputies over claims of domestic violence should require that related criminal charges be filed … and that the allegations relate to
the county job.
Villanueva also the credibility of the accuser … saying the fact that she waited nearly a year to report her claims and her decision to quit the department just before she was about to testify were “big warning signs.”
Malibu county supervisor Sheila Kuehl has joined colleagues in saying this is not acceptable.
She told the Los Angeles Times that Villanueva “sounded stuck in the ’60s” by blaming the alleged victim in the deputy’s case.
The Times reports she also questioned Villanueva’s proposal to create a “truth and reconciliation” commission to hear the cases of deputies with grievances against the department.
Quote … “It sounds like he wants to bring back every bad deputy who he thought got a bad deal…” Kuehl told the L-A Times.
At today’s Board of Supervisors meeting … Sheila Kuehl says the board of supervisors may challenge the sheriff.
They may freeze the disgraced deputy’s paycheck … or take other action.
