LAPD says no officers fired for May Day melee

July 01, 2009 10:42 am

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police officials in Los Angeles say none of the officers who pummeled demonstrators with batons and fired rubber bullets during a pro-immigration rally will lose their jobs.

Police Chief William Bratton had asked for the firing of four officers. But he said Tuesday that the stiffest penalty imposed by a department disciplinary board was a 20-day suspension for one officer.

The chief does not have the authority to remove an officer.

Attorney Luis Carillo, who represents 40 demonstrators who sued the city over the May Day melee in 2007, calls the decision a "slap on the wrist."

The melee in MacArthur Park has cost the city $13 million in legal settlements. Forty-two people were injured, including nine journalists.

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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com