BERKELEY, CA — A Berkeley police watchdog who was recently fired is suing the city and its mayor, claiming they purposefully made his job more difficult and retaliated against him throughout investigations, according to a Berkeleyside report.
Hansel Aguilar, in a civil complaint filed earlier this month in state court, accuses the city of wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, interference and violation of whistleblower protections, according to the report.
Berkeley's Police Department declines to respond to the accusations, saying it does not comment on impending litigation. City officials told Berkeleyside that they had yet to receive the lawsuit as of Tuesday.
Aguilar says officers tried to undermine his investigations, accusing him of "repeated fabrications and stretching of facts," according to the report.
Aguilar was fired suddenly in February without just cause or any evaluation of his work, according to the report.
In a September 2025 op-ed, Aguilar wrote for the East Bay Times, Aguilar says civilian oversight of law enforcement is dying, comparing it to a "hollow performance."
"Oversight bodies meet, they vote, they issue recommendations, Aguilar wrote in the op-ed. "They no longer wield power. They no longer compel compliance. They are tolerated, not respected. Just ghosts at the table."
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