OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — After a years-long FBI investigation into the Antioch police division uncovered a racist texting scandal, a few of these officers lastly took the stand in a federal trial in Oakland. One of many officers focused within the texted scandal is now taking the stand as witness within the case after taking a plea deal in January.
“If we have been to only take the widespread sense interpretation of the language utilized by the witness, we are able to conclude that he was being fully sincere and above board,” mentioned San Jose State Legal Justice Professor Greg Woods.
He’s speaking about former Officer Eric Rombough, who as a substitute of standing trial, is serving as witness for the prosecution. He took a plea deal in January.
Rombough described how he and Officer Morteza Amiri knowingly used extreme pressure, falsified police studies and made certain their actions weren’t caught on physique cameras. Generally rewarding every with fancy dinners.
“These racial epithets. Lowering these people whom they encountered to be targets for rubber bullets, to be incentivizes by the rewards of cookies and filet mignon,” mentioned Professor Woods.
The Division of Justice introduced it reached an settlement with Metropolis of Antioch to resolve its investigation in Antioch PD racist texting scandal.
The protection tried to argue that a few of the textual content messages have been offensive, however they have been cherry-picked. Or the that means exaggerated, says Lawyer Ben Nisenbaum.
He has a separate civil case towards a few of the identical officers concerned within the texting scandal.
MORE: CA DOJ meets with victims and activists as investigation into Antioch PD continues
However he says Rombough’s testimony disproves that.
“You could have an officer saying, no these weren’t exaggerations. This was not locker room speak,” mentioned Lawyer Nisenbaum. “That injects dose of actuality that I feel might be persuasive to each juror.”
Additionally, final week a mistrial was declared for a second officer charged within the case.
Nisembaum says the ruling of former Officer Devon Wenger’s case got here after his lawyer informed the decide he could not present efficient illustration allegedly resulting from an absence of sources.
“Officer Amiri agreed to proceed his trial, to maintain it going, by itself. And Officer Wenger’s trial might be rescheduled later this 12 months,” mentioned Nisenbaum.
“Properly, it was all problematic. Having bullet cabinets in your mantle. And saying these have been your trophies, I feel was disgusting,” mentioned former Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, who was mayor when the texting scandal broke.
He says praised Officer Rombough for admitting regret. However he says justice nonetheless must be served.
MORE: Report reveals Antioch officers referred to police chief as ‘gorilla’ in textual content messages
“It takes numerous braveness to come clean with your errors. And so, I used to be happy to see that. I hope different officers be taught from him. After which those that have to be held accountable, have to be held accountable for terrorizing this neighborhood,” Hernandez-Thorpe mentioned.
The trial continues within the coming days.
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