LOS ANGELES, CA - An Assistant Police Chief with the Los Angeles Police Department, Alfred "Al" Labrada, has retired following the ruling of a disciplinary board against him on Monday. The board found that Labrada had secretly tracked one of his fellow officers, with whom he was conducting a romantic relationship, and then attempted a coverup.
According to the LA Times, the board found Labrada guilty on seven counts, including lying to internal affairs detectives and attempting to persuade a witness not to testify citing a source anonymously. The board was set to reconvene in October to pass a sentence that could have included termination, but instead, Labrada told reporters Friday through a spokesman that he was resigning from the LAPD retroactive to July 1st.
As reported by The New York Post in September 2023, Labrada allegedly planted an Apple AirTag inside the unidentified officer's possessions and tracked the woman's location using it. She discovered it inside a waterproof pelican box inside of her car, per KTLA.
Reportedly, LAPD officials were able to trace the AirTag back to Labrada's department-issued cellphone. At the time, Labrada was director of the Office of Special Operations, with oversight over the Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau, the Detective Bureau, and the Transit Services Bureau.
Then-assistant Chief Labrada was placed on a weeklong “absence from command” before being put on paid leave according to CBS.
Labrada's attorney, Jeremy Tissot, said in a statement to the The Times, "To our understanding, what occurred today was a standard procedure and nothing further should be read into it, other than that the matter is continuing to be investigated. We wish to jointly clarify that, in our opinion, what has been reported in the media thus far is false, as to the stalking allegations. The relationship and circumstances have also been mischaracterized."
The Times revealed that during the Labrada hearing that lasted several weeks, the panel comprised of three civilians reviewed the evidence and took testimony from Labrada. He told the panel that the AirTags were purchased to track his luggage while he was on a Caribbean cruise. However, under a search warrant for his assigned phone, investigators located “recently deleted” incriminating screenshots suggesting he had monitored his fellow officer’s movements for months.
Labrada issued a scathing statement, slamming “the political influence that has tainted the Board of Rights and LAPD Internal Affairs process."
“Having witnessed firsthand the lack of a fair process," he said, "I am now more determined than ever to fight for the officers whose lives have been impacted by this flawed system. Furthermore, I am deeply disappointed in the failures of the Internal Affairs process. In achieving the rank of Assistant Chief, the second highest position within the LAPD, I never expected that my impeccable service record and three decades of dedication would be marred by a malicious and unfounded attack.”
He concluded, "My pursuit of justice is far from over. I will exhaust all available avenues to ensure that the justice system in America, whether within a government agency like the LAPD or in a court of law, remains fair, just, and fulfills its essential role in upholding a free and open legal system for all."
According to the LA Times, the board found Labrada guilty on seven counts, including lying to internal affairs detectives and attempting to persuade a witness not to testify citing a source anonymously. The board was set to reconvene in October to pass a sentence that could have included termination, but instead, Labrada told reporters Friday through a spokesman that he was resigning from the LAPD retroactive to July 1st.
As reported by The New York Post in September 2023, Labrada allegedly planted an Apple AirTag inside the unidentified officer's possessions and tracked the woman's location using it. She discovered it inside a waterproof pelican box inside of her car, per KTLA.
Reportedly, LAPD officials were able to trace the AirTag back to Labrada's department-issued cellphone. At the time, Labrada was director of the Office of Special Operations, with oversight over the Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau, the Detective Bureau, and the Transit Services Bureau.
Then-assistant Chief Labrada was placed on a weeklong “absence from command” before being put on paid leave according to CBS.
Labrada's attorney, Jeremy Tissot, said in a statement to the The Times, "To our understanding, what occurred today was a standard procedure and nothing further should be read into it, other than that the matter is continuing to be investigated. We wish to jointly clarify that, in our opinion, what has been reported in the media thus far is false, as to the stalking allegations. The relationship and circumstances have also been mischaracterized."
The Times revealed that during the Labrada hearing that lasted several weeks, the panel comprised of three civilians reviewed the evidence and took testimony from Labrada. He told the panel that the AirTags were purchased to track his luggage while he was on a Caribbean cruise. However, under a search warrant for his assigned phone, investigators located “recently deleted” incriminating screenshots suggesting he had monitored his fellow officer’s movements for months.
Labrada issued a scathing statement, slamming “the political influence that has tainted the Board of Rights and LAPD Internal Affairs process."
“Having witnessed firsthand the lack of a fair process," he said, "I am now more determined than ever to fight for the officers whose lives have been impacted by this flawed system. Furthermore, I am deeply disappointed in the failures of the Internal Affairs process. In achieving the rank of Assistant Chief, the second highest position within the LAPD, I never expected that my impeccable service record and three decades of dedication would be marred by a malicious and unfounded attack.”
He concluded, "My pursuit of justice is far from over. I will exhaust all available avenues to ensure that the justice system in America, whether within a government agency like the LAPD or in a court of law, remains fair, just, and fulfills its essential role in upholding a free and open legal system for all."
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