KTLA

‘SWAT Mafia’ encouraged excessive force and retaliation, sergeant alleges in lawsuit against LAPD

SWAT officers responded to a San Pedro search for a robber on Nov. 14, 2014. (Credit: KTLA)

A longtime LAPD SWAT sergeant is suing the department, alleging the unit is run by a “SWAT Mafia” of veteran cops who encourage the use of deadly force and ostracized him for revealing its behavior.

Sgt Tim Colomey, who spent a 11 years as a SWAT supervisor until last November, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging retaliation for revealing how a group of veteran officers controlled the unit’s operations, membership and labeled him and others enemies for speaking out.

Colomey says in the suit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court that those leaders “glamorize the use of lethal force, and direct the promotions of officers who share the same values while maligning the reputations of officers who do not.”

Colomey claims that those who don’t use deadly force in the tactical unit and seek other means to end standoffs and other situations are pushed out.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.