According to his colleagues and superiors, the deputy at the center of Orange County's bloodiest jailhouse murder—a man who claims he was watching television when two dozen inmates beat a suspected child molester to death just yards away—is “lazy” and showed a pattern of behavior described by his own department as that of a “bully.”
While supposedly watching guard over the roughly 150 inmates in Theo Lacy's F-West Barracks, where John Chamberlain, a Mission Viejo software engineer arrested for possession of child pornography, was murdered Oct. 5, 2006, his colleagues say, Deputy Kevin Taylor not only routinely watched the tube, but also watched films like “Blackhawk Down” on a portable DVD player and made personal calls or sent text messages on his cell phone.
Transcripts released today from the Orange County Grand Jury's investigation of Chamberlain's murder show that one of the guards who worked with Taylor, Philip Le, felt that Taylor was “lazy.”
As an example of his laziness, Le stated, Taylor wasn't fond of sending injured inmates to the jail's doctors for medical treatment after they'd been beaten up for violating jailhouse rules. That would mean he'd have to fill out paperwork. So instead, Le testified, Taylor would tell a jailhouse “shot-caller” who was in charge of that inmate, to convince the inmate not to report his injuries. The conversation, Le said, would go like this: “Hey this guy is messing up so get him in line; [tell him] You're not hurt...You are fine.”
According to documents released along with Le's testimony, however, Taylor wasn't lazy when it came to using physical force to punish inmates. In a so-called “Use of Force Report,” one of Taylor's superiors detailed an incident that took place in F-West barracks almost a month after Chamberlain's death. Two inmates—they happened to be father and son--standing in line shook hands and appeared to be passing a note to each other. A certain Sgt. Gonzales says he witnessed Taylor approach one of the inmates and say “I'm going to slap you” if the inmate didn't admit he passed a note.
In his report, Taylor says the inmate made a sudden movement, giving him no choice but to slap the inmate. But Sgt. Gonzales' version goes like this “While [the inmate] stood with his hands in his pockets, Deputy Taylor slapped him. [The inmate] then reeled backwards. In an attempt to regain his footing [the inmate] leaned forward and was slapped again.” Gonzales' report was based on what several inmates told him, a story that was corroborated by nearby deputies, who saw the inmate raise his hands only after he had been slapped.
The use of force report also mentions another incident when Taylor “placed an inmate in a stance that caused his legs to be spread into an extreme position (similar to the splits) while he circled the inmate and spoke to him.” The inmate couldn't stand, so he adjusted his feet, at which point “Taylor nudged the inmates leg out again, which caused the inmate to crumple to the ground in apparent pain.” Taylor was verbally reprimanded for this incident.
“In my opinion,” Taylor's superior wrote, “Taylor was 'bullying' the inmate unnecessarily. Prior to that Deputy Taylor had also been reprimanded for his actions during a use of force where he also utilized poor judgment...It appears to me that Deputy Taylor may be displaying a pattern of behavior that warrants closer scrutiny and consideration.”
April 7, 2008 18:34
April 7, 2008
Via Email
Tony Rackauckas, Esq.
OC District Attorney
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Kenneth Julian, Esq., Brett Sagel, Esq.
U.S. Department of Justice
411 W. 4th Street, Suite 800
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Re: OC District Attorney Investigative
Report - John Derek Chamberlain; and
Kevin Taylor, United States District
Court Case Nos. 98-41 SVW; and 00-01170
Dear Messrs. Rackauckas, Julian and Sagel:
After a review of the Investigative Report referenced above, I was unable to determine from the DA’s report if Officer Kevin Taylor is the same person involved in two criminal cases in the United States District Court, Central Division, Case Nos. 98-41-SVW and 00-01170.
Realizing that Mr. Taylor’s personnel file while he was employed by the Torrance Police Department was not available at the time of the grand jury investigation and a background check was not disclosed in the Investigative Report, these cases may not have been disclosed and/or available for your review.
Please confirm that the Kevin Taylor currently employed by the OC Sheriff's Department and assigned at the Theo Lacy jail facility, is not the same person referenced in the criminal district court matters, Case Nos. 98-41 SVW and 00-01170.
It also appears that the 2000 case is a probation jurisdictional transfer from Denver, Colorado. There was no mention in the investigative report whether background checks were conducted on all of the Sheriffs involved in the John Derek Chamberlain grand jury investigation; therefore, in the interests of justice and the protections of public safety, please address this matter as soon as possible.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Debby Bodkin
cc: Orange County Board of Supervisors
April 7, 2008 23:41
Taylor will go down for this and the daily ass beating and butt fucking he receives as a former pig will pale in comparison to what happened to Chamberlain. Taylor will likely commit suicide before he is convicted although a piece of shit like himself probably does not have the balls to do it. I hope he squeels like the pig shit he is when he has to face the sisters.
April 8, 2008 10:27
I sense the pain being felt by the vast majority of excellent employees of the Sheriffs Department who are cringing at the actions of a few bad apples. There is nothing good Cops hate more than those who are corrupt, commit misdeeds and use their position to bring dishonor to the badge.
Not being one to beat a dead horse, I nevertheless offer a couple of suggestions. Perhaps while Acting Sheriff Jack Anderson is doing his house cleaning, he might want to take a top to bottom look at the recruitment and hiring practices currently being used. I do not know if the Sheriffs Department uses a polygraph exam in the hiring process, but it is a very inexpensive tool that can be applied in the pre-background investigation to discover lies an applicant tells about their personal history. Additionally, the quality of the overall background investigation process should be examined. A law enforcement agency is only as good as the men and women it hires and every means should be used to screen out those not qualified to do the demanding job. In most law enforcement agencies, about 95% of applicants are normally screened out at various phases of the process.
In conclusion, I hope the general public does not rush to judgement on a good law enforcement agency with a few bad apples. Let's give Acting Sheriff Anderson and his team time to address the issues and weed out the people who shouldn't be there. Best wishes to those dedicated employees who act with honor, integrity and who put their lives on the line for the public every day.
Patrick A. Rodgers
Irvine, CA.
April 8, 2008 14:19
Reminds me of the time I was too "lazy" to feed my cat, so I drowned it in a barrel. Man, am I "lazy."
April 8, 2008 16:35
What's up with Orange County? Wellll, when it comes to reality, see www.FamilyLawCourts.com
There's a bad cop section, but what's happening in family court is something else as it relates to the the Real Housewives of Orange County.
Sheesh!
April 8, 2008 21:22
Today was a very sad day for the OC... the OC Weekly has been reporting jail abuses and public corruption for years and criticism has followed, without corrective action or at least investigations. Now, the DA announces a Grand Jury report and refuses to file criminal charges against those who should face criminal consequences, the FBI is called in to assist the Sheriff's internal investigation and the OC Board of Supes play DUMB, SHOCKED, OMG... as if they had no clue that all this corruption has been in front of their faces for years.
The real test is.... WHEN WILL THE OC BOARD OF SUPES FIRE the corrupt attorneys with legal conflicts of interest that hold the litigation liability for the County in their hands while they represent the County, the Sheriff's Department, public school districts, the Diocese of Orange and the LA Archdiocese. Does anyone truly believe that the OC Sheriff's Department evolved into this nightmare all by its lonesome? Absolutely not... those representing the OC Sheriff's Department in courts of law for the past several years have created one big horrific mess in the OC! And, thanks to the judicial officers and OC District Attorney playing the see no evil games, things are going to get worse.
Orange County, California: DENIALS OF DUE PROCESS, DENIALS OF THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, RETALIATION, HATE CRIMES, LEGAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, FAILURES TO PROTECT CHILDREN, etc. etc. Does it get any worse?
April 9, 2008 01:25
Sad Day in OC:
Um, bad news for you there, partner. The Board of Supes isn't playing dumb.
April 9, 2008 15:46
Things are getting a little too hot for police personnel all around. Unfortunately, some cable service companies have responded inappropriately.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080409-9999-1m9b2briefs.html
The report is somewhat inaccurate, in that www.BadCopNews.com was down since the Friday prior, the outage covered most of the south western states, and the email was returned along with relevant information and my number for details, just not by press time.
http://www.badcopnews.com/2008/04/08/oceansidesan-diego-cover-up-expands-road-runner-blocks-southern-california-customers-from-visiting-bad-cop-news-after-posts-about-san-diego-california-police-officer-franklin-whites-road-rage-shoo/
April 9, 2008 20:49
Would someone please state the obvious, we need a new Sheriff from outside our County who does not owe anyone anything. No more Carona appoints Jack who owes the G.O.P. his first born to present to the central committe. I am sure we can find a qualified individual who can start from the bottom and get rid of all the slugs and bring this Deparment back where it belongs doing what it should be doing...protecting the taxpayers
April 10, 2008 09:38
A lot of these otherwise outstanding individuals get suckered into an "exciting career" by the great public relations/advertising done by the OC Sheriff's Dept. There is a lot of bitterness when a new deputy realizes he has to babysit a bunch of drunks and meth heads at Lacy until better positions open up. Not exactly the exciting career in LE that was promoted to a new recruit. Hate you job, hate the inmates. Make 'em pay.
April 10, 2008 19:59
Lets get this over with and pick someone from the outside who doesn't owe anyone anything. Why is it so hard to understand that the Sheriff's Department is rotten from the top down and it needs someone from the outside to change the entire culture. I am afraid that this will not happen until the B.O.S. picks the next Sheriff based on their command experience not their party affiliations.
April 12, 2008 16:19
It is clear, since the brown stuff hit the fan, there has been lot of CYA going on at the Orange County Jail. Sergeants and Lieutenants are now doing the job they should have been doing in the first place.
I hope that when the smoke clears, the fall guys in this story aren't just the little people at the bottom of the totem pole. Supervisors and Managers who were not doing their jobs should be held equally accountable.