LA Sheriff's List Of Naughty Deputies Divides Department: Report

LOS ANGELES, CA — One Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy is accused of molesting a teenage girl who called for help after an attack. Another allegedly falsified a report to justify pepper-spraying an elderly man. Another admitted to falsifying evidence by using taco sauce to simulate spilled blood. Still others were arrested for domestic violence.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell's list of 'dishonorable' deputies is 300-strong. If he gets his way, their names would be released to prosecutors who could use it to determine if a case has credibility issues because of the deputies involved. However the union representing the deputies is fighting the move, arguing it could jeopardize criminal cases and violate the rights of officers, according to an explosive investigation by the Los Angeles Times.

The case, which will go before the California Supreme Court next year could have widespread implications.
The list was created in 2014 when the department was rocked by a scandal that ended with the corruption conviction of the county's top lawman.

According to the Times, deputies have been identified as potential witnesses in more than 62,000 felony cases since 2000, and in many of those cases, the deputies' misconduct would probably have been relevant in assessing their credibility. The list is so tightly controlled that it can be seen by only a handful of high-ranking sheriff's official, according to the newspaper.

Times reporters obtained the list.

The deputies listed include Casey Dowling, who was accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl on duty. According to the The Times, Deputy Dist. Atty. Bryant Bushling determined that there were “several circumstances which support the conclusion that Deputy Dowling has committed the violation alleged.” Dowling was never charged, but he was discharged, then reinstated and promoted, the Times reported. An attorney for Dowling said the allegations were found to be untrue.

Christian Chamness was honored as “deputy of the year” the same year he allegedly falsified a report to justify pepper-spraying an elderly man. According to the Times, he claimed that an elderly man charged toward him and refused to allow him to leave a barbershop while arresting the man's son. Video from the incident shows they were standing outside when the incident occurred, and that the man was not charging toward Chamness. He was suspended for 25 days for making a false report and unreasonable force, according to the newspaper. His attorney said he never intentionally misrepresented the incident.

Click here for the full Los Angeles Times Investigation.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell talks to reporters during a news conference about Saturday's fatal shooting of a man in Lynwood, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in Los Angeles. A black man who was fatally shot by Los Angeles deputies kept holding a gun as he lay dying on the ground, authorities said Sunday in response to questions about why they continued to fire on the man after he fell to the pavement. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)