A San Fernando Police Department officer has been charged with stealing money from a man during an arrest last June, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
Jeffrey King, 37, was charged with one count each of second-degree robbery and extortion, as well as one misdemeanor count of petty theft.
The charges stem from a June 21, 2022 incident in which King responded to a call of a possible domestic violence incident at a San Fernando home.
The suspect was arrested and booked into jail. When he was released two days later, he reported that he was missing money he had had in his pocket during the arrest, officials said.
“The defendant allegedly took cell phones and cash from his pockets while he was restrained but only handed over the phones later to a supervisor. The cash was never booked into evidence or returned to the suspect,” the D.A.’s Office detailed in a news release.
Officials did not say how much was allegedly stolen.
The case was investigated by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s internal criminal investigations bureau at the request of the San Fernando Police Department.
The case was filed for warrant on Tuesday, and King’s arraignment will be set for a later date.
“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,” District Attorney George Gascón said. “No one should have their rights compromised, especially by those who are tasked with protecting them. “