ROOKIE COP WHO SPOKE UP GETTING FIRED : OLDER LAPD RECRUITS ACCUSED OF MISCONDUCT.Byline: Jaxon Van Derbeken Daily News Staff Writer When 66-year-old LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. rookie rookie a novice; often an athlete playing his first season as a member of a professional sports team. [Sports: Misc.] See : Inexperience Dumas Robinson challenged his termination over allegations that he improperly touched recruits, he subpoenaed a 60-year-old fellow recruit. The other recruit, Lee La Gorio, testified that he only received a 10-day suspension for the same offense. In the wake of that testimony, the Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . has reversed La Gorio's suspension and is seeking to fire him.
Now, both officers are crying foul. The department claims new information has come to light since La Gorio first was disciplined, an assertion that La Gorio denies. La Gorio first was given a 10-day suspension in June, following accusations by the Police Academy staff that he inappropriately touched a female recruit during a demonstration of search training. ``I think it's absolutely nothing more than retaliation RETALIATION. The act by which a nation or individual treats another in the same manner that the latter has treated them. For example, if a nation should lay a very heavy tariff on American goods, the United States would be justified in return in laying heavy duties on the manufactures and for trying to assist Robinson,'' La Gorio said. ``Everybody has a right to have witnesses and have people testify To provide evidence as a witness, subject to an oath or affirmation, in order to establish a particular fact or set of facts. Court rules require witnesses to testify about the facts they know that are relevant to the determination of the outcome of the case. for them. ``I responded to a subpoena subpoena (səpē`nə) [Lat.,=under penalty], in law, an order to a witness to appear before a court. A subpoena ad testificandum [Lat. which compelled me to testify at a hearing,'' he said. ``I told the truth. Immediately after my testimony, I was informed that I would be terminated for the same training allegation The assertion, claim, declaration, or statement of a party to an action, setting out what he or she expects to prove. If the allegations in a plaintiff's complaint are insufficient to establish that the person's legal rights have been violated, the defendant can make a for which I was already suspended for 10 days.'' La Gorio said that he sees the latest action as discrimination. ``My opinion is there is somebody down there who doesn't want older people going through the academy and becoming police officers. I think that's pretty apparent,'' La Gorio said. ``I was absolutely astounded a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, at the first alleged charges. Then I was doubly astonished a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. when they pulled me out of class the second time on the sixth of September. That's when they assigned me to home. ``I think the whole thing is a travesty,'' he said. ``I wouldn't want it to ever happen to anybody else. I wonder what the odds are of the same thing happening to two guys, Dumas and myself. It makes you wonder.'' La Gorio, who owned an export company before he joined the LAPD in October 1995, said he hoped to stay on the department for 10 years. On Sept. 6, La Gorio was sent home with pay from the academy and was formally notified Nov. 13 that the department intended to fire him based on the charge of inappropriate touching. Cmdr. Tim McBride said that La Gorio continues to be assigned to home with pay. McBride declined to specify what exactly prompted the department to act after La Gorio was first disciplined. But he did say that additional witnesses have come forward to detail ``numerous incidents'' connected to La Gorio. McBride denied any retaliation. ``The department has very strong policies against retaliation, and would certainly not enter into that type of arrangement,'' McBride said. La Gorio's defense representative, Dave Winslow, said it was the first he had heard of additional witnesses. ``That's news to us, we haven't been informed of any new witnesses,'' Winslow said. Robinson was fired based on five complaints that he engaged in ``inappropriate touching'' of female recruits during self-defense and physical training, officials said. Robinson joined the force at 64 only to suffer a pulled muscle that forced him to start training over again last summer. Robinson was charged in three separate incidents in September of inappropriately touching officers despite being instructed not to by self-defense instructors. Two other charges stemmed stemmed adj. 1. Having the stems removed. 2. Provided with a stem or a specific type of stem. Often used in combination: stemmed goblets; long-stemmed roses. from incidents last summer during runs with his academy classmates Classmates can refer to either:
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