Top Cops Plead Guilty To Lady Antebellum Concert Scuffle

FULLERTON, CA — Former Fullerton police Chief David Hendricks and one of the captains on the force pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor charges stemming from a conflict with emergency medical technicians at a concert in Irvine.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace by fighting and agreed to make a $500 donation to the Victim Witness Emergency Fund, said defense attorney John Barnett.

Under Hendricks' plea deal with prosecutors, two counts of battery on emergency workers and one count of resisting arrest were dismissed.

For Capt. Thomas Oliveras, single counts of battery on a peace officer and resisting arrest were dismissed by a Newport Beach judge.

Both Hendricks and Oliveras can "go through a legal process to get the convictions expunged at some point," Barnett said.

The men were off-duty and attended the August country concert at FivePoint Amphitheater with their wives. When Hendricks' wife "needed medical attention and the EMTs responded to assess her condition, Hendricks was accused of pushing two EMTs while Oliveras put another one in a headlock or choke-hold, court documents said.

No injuries were reported the night of the incident, however when Irvine officers arrived at the scene, both Oliveras and Hendricks "obstructed and delayed the investigation," according to charges by the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Hendricks was placed on leave following the incident, where he later resigned. Both men were formally charged in December.

Hendricks was appointed chief in July 2017 after serving as a deputy chief with the Long Beach Police Department. Hendricks started his law enforcement career in Long Beach in 1994.

Deputy District Attorney Jeff Moore said he is not allowed to comment on the case and directed questions to the office's public relations department.

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