Jeffrey King, a San Fernando police officer, turned himself in Tuesday, June 13 and was arraigned after being charged with stealing money from a man during an arrest nearly a year ago.
King was placed on administrative leave in June 2022 and has remained on administrative leave to date.
King 37, was charged Tuesday with one felony count of second-degree robbery and extortion, along with a misdemeanor count of petty theft, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He was released on his own recognizance.
Prosecutors allege that King took cell phones and cash from a man arrested last June 21 in connection with a call of possible domestic violence, but that he only handed the phones over later to a supervisor. King allegedly took the cash while the man was restrained.
The cash was never booked into evidence or returned to the man, who was released two days later, according to the District Attorney’s Office. The amount of cash taken was not disclosed.
“Law enforcement officers take an oath to uphold the law, not to break it. Maintaining integrity is a fundamental principle of law enforcement and stealing personal belongings during an arrest is a clear violation of that trust,” said LA County District Attorney George Gascón.
The case stemmed from an investigation by the LA County Sheriff’s Department’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau at the request of San Fernando Police Chief Fabian Valdez. The City of San Fernando referred all inquiries to the District Attorney’s office and in a news release wrote, “King has been placed on administrative leave since the case was filed.”
Shame on LA DA Gascon his statement about a San Fernando police officer, “Law enforcement officers take an oath to uphold the law, not to break it. Maintaining integrity is a fundamental principle of law enforcement and stealing personal belongings during an arrest is a clear violation of that trust,”
Gascon should know “Innocent UNTIL proven guilty. Shame on you Gascon for making a damning statement of this officer.