Allegations of perjury and making false statements by San Diego police officers have emerged in separate lawsuits filed by a lieutenant and a detective who claim they’ve been retaliated against for speaking out about misconduct, reports the Union-Tribune. One of the lawsuits includes sworn testimony from two department employees that is diametrically opposed. The discrepancies generated an internal investigation. The other complaint sparked a pair of subpoenas for additional records sought by the plaintiffs’ lawyer. The City Attorney’s Office wants to quash the subpoenas, and a hearing is scheduled next month. “Without a doubt, the San Diego Police Department does not tolerate officers who cross the thin blue line,” said Attorney Dan Gilleon, who filed both cases against the city and numerous police officials. “They absolutely punish anyone who has the courage and ethics to speak out against wrongdoing, and even criminal acts.”
Police officials would not discuss the allegations, but a spokesman issued a statement saying the department has strict rules against perjury or other legal violations. The older of the two retaliation lawsuits was filed in 2014 by police Detective Dana Hoover, who claimed she was harassed and transferred from her job in the homicide unit after she wrote an email to her supervisors outlining a series of issues within the department. One of the most serious allegations involved what she called “false statements” another detective made as a witness during a murder trial almost three years ago. According to Hoover, Detective Steve McDonald did not testify truthfully when he told the jury that the defendant had been picked out of a lineup.