“Top shot” officer sues LAPD over social media demand

[HCM]

https://www.police1.com/social-media...ppiVW4pAvSTLu/


Top shot' LAPD officer sues chief, department over social media demand

Officer Toni McBride, who's seeking more than $5 million in damages, alleges Chief Michel Moore blocked promotions because she refused to remove videos of her at shooting competitions and firing ranges

LOS ANGELES — A LAPD officer, whose sharp-shooter social media posts drew widespread attention after she was involved in a fatal shooting, filed a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit Tuesday against Police Chief Michel Moore and the department.

LAPD Officer Toni McBride alleges that Moore blocked her promotions because she refused to remove from her social media feeds videos of her at shooting competitions or training at firing ranges. In the lawsuit filed in federal court, McBride claims that Moore told her that she had to delete her social media accounts or "he would destroy her career."

McBride, who is seeking more than $5 million in damages, has been on medical leave since November due to "severe physical symptoms caused by and exacerbated by the stress," according to the lawsuit.

A LAPD spokesperson declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

McBride's social media posts garnered attention in 2020 after she shot a 38-year-old man holding a box cutter six times, killing him. McBride and her partner had been responding to a collision on San Pedro Street near East 32nd Street involving several badly injured motorists whose vehicles had been struck by a truck driven by Daniel Hernandez. A toxicology report found Hernandez had methamphetamine in his system at the time.

McBride repeatedly commanded Hernandez to drop the weapon, according to videos captured by McBride's body-camera and by witnesses with smartphones. When Hernandez advanced toward her, she shot him twice, and then fired another two shots when he attempted to get up. Her final two shots came as he was rolling on the ground.

After the shooting, McBride told investigators she felt Hernandez posed a risk to bystanders in the area.

The Los Angeles Police Commission found McBride broke department policy by continuing to shoot Hernandez during the fatal encounter. The commission found McBride's first four shots were justified, but her fifth and sixth shots were not.

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta's office cleared McBride of wrongdoing based in part on the "expert opinion" of a controversial police use-of-force consultant. Bonta's office took over the review of the shooting after former Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey recused herself.

McBride's father, Jamie McBride, is one of nine directors of the powerful Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers in labor and discipline issues. The L.A. police union has raised money for Lacey's campaigns.

The younger McBride earned "Top Shot" in the LAPD police academy and was the youngest in her class when she graduated at 20 years old, according to her lawsuit. She said in the lawsuit that she has competed — and won — target shooting competitions all over the country, which she regularly chronicled on her social media accounts.

In the lawsuit, McBride's attorney said it was not the Hernandez shooting that caused the police chief to block McBride's career advancement opportunities last year.

"Chief Moore told Officer McBride that he wanted her to cease posting videos on social media," according to the lawsuit. "He said that Officer McBride needed to 'choose between being an LAPD officer' or posting social media videos."

McBride contends her posts are "virtually identical to dozens of videos regularly posted by male officers. But when it comes to Officer McBride, Chief Moore told her he didn't like the 'image they present,'" according to the lawsuit.

[BK14]

Double edged sword for sure. From what I’ve seen, large social media presence while you’re in the midst of your career is typically going to be a major compromise. Either put your eggs in the influencer/trainer/sponsored whatever basket at the detriment of your career, or keep yourself off the internet. We’ve had multiple social media accounts used against officers locally after critical incidents. Just doesn’t seem smart if you’re still legitimately doing the job.

That said, not sure how an agency can restrict what you post, or hinder your career IF what you’re doing is in policy.

[HCM]

Double edged sword for sure. From what I’ve seen, large social media presence while you’re in the midst of your career is typically going to be a major compromise. Either put your eggs in the influencer/trainer/sponsored whatever basket at the detriment of your career, or keep yourself off the internet. We’ve had multiple social media accounts used against officers locally after critical incidents. Just doesn’t seem smart if you’re still legitimately doing the job.

That said, not sure how an agency can restrict what you post, or hinder your career IF what you’re doing is in policy.

Most of those issues are “personal” social media pages.

“Influencer” pages have to self moderate to attract and maintain sponsors.

On the surface the issues appear to be anti 2A bias and disparate treatment vs similarly situated officers. However, I suspect it has as much or more to do with settling scores with her father based on his involvement in the LAPD union.

[BWT]

I hope it costs the chief their job.

I also am disappointed it’ll cost the tax payer $5 Million dollars.

Geez.

[Exiledviking]

That chief is also in hot water for inadvertently exposing information regarding LAPD officers including officers working undercover.
"Moore admits the department failed the rank when the department released private information as part of a California public records request. The order was for the LAPD to release the names, badge numbers, and photos of more than 9,000 officers, except for those assigned to specialized units. But when the department gave the list to the person who requested the names, a citizen journalist, it also included the information of undercover officers."

"Threats pouring in after LAPD undercover officers' info released; Chief Moore admits mistake." https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fox...nt-mistake.amp

[Hambo]

So it's a "mistake" to give up info on undercover officers, but personal social media really bad for the department. Thanks, chief, you fucking douchebag.

[Warped Mindless]

Few thoughts:

That shooting was 100% justified. All shots included.

The chief is an asshat and I hope he loses his job.

Cops should be encouraged to compete as it would encourage some of them to become more proficient with their tools.

[Kyle Reese]

So it's a "mistake" to give up info on undercover officers, but personal social media really bad for the department. Thanks, chief, you fucking douchebag.

I hope she’s awarded the entire 5 mil.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guerrero]

If people have never seen the badge-came footage of the shooting in question, it is some textbook marksmanship.

[jlw]

To clarify, it was the Police Commission that rendered the split decision on her shooting, not the chief. Chief Moore actually broke with the inspector general's office on the issue.