4 San Jose police officers face termination

AND OUT. I'M TERRY McSWEENEY. >> I'M GIA VANG. >>> PROBLEMS INSIDE THE SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT. NBC BAY AREA HAS LEARNED THAT FOUR OFFICERS ARE FACING TERMINATION. THEY ARE INVOLVED IN THREE DIFFERENT CASES. DAMIAN TRUJILLO IS AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS WITH A STORY YOU'LL ONLY SEE ON NBC BAY AREA. >> Reporter: I'M TOLD THE OFFICERS ARE ENTITLED TO WHAT'S CALLED A SKELLY HEARING, A DISCIPLINARY HEARING BEFORE FORMAL TERMINATION. ONE RETIRED COP SAYS IT'S BEEN ONE BAD BREAK AFTER ANOTHER FOR THE DEPARTMENT. OUR INVESTIGATIVE UNIT HAS LOOKED INTO THE CASE OF SAN JOSE POLICE DETECTIVE YSMALE LEMUS, CHARGES OF USING A RETIRED PATROL CAR AS HIS PERSONAL VEHICLE WITHOUT PERMISSION. POLICE SOURCES TELL ME HE IS ONE OF FOUR OFFICERS WHO RECEIVED TERMINATION PAPERS THIS WEEK. A SECOND OFFICER IS ACCUSED OF WRITING THE LICENSE PLATE OF A WOMAN HE MET AT A COMMUNITY EVENT, THEN LATER SHOWING UP AT HER DOOR. OUR SOURCES SAY THE LAST TWO OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CAT AND LEFT WITHOUT MAKING ARRESTS. THEY ARE FACING POTENTIAL TERMINATION BECAUSE THE SUSPECT IN THAT CASE RETURNED LATER IN THE EVENING AND KILLED THE VICTIM. >> I'VE WATCHED SAN JOSE PD SADLY BECOME DEEPLY INVOLVED IN A NEGATIVE SPIRAL. AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO PULL OUT OF THIS SPIRAL INTERIOR MICHAEL LEN GINNER IN IS A RETIRED SAN JOSE POLICE OFFICER WHO WATCHED A SERIES OF FIRINGS AND WORRIES WHAT THE LATEST ACTION WILL MEAN FOR AN ALREADY SHORT-STAFFED DEPARTMENT AND ITS MORALE. >> I SEE THIS AS A TREMENDOUS PROBLEM. NOT ONLY WITH THE SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT NATIONAL, NATIONAL ISSUES WITH RECRUITMENT AND RETAINMENT. IT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM. >> Reporter: ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, HE SAYS IT'S GOOD THE DEPARTMENT IS DEMONSTRATING A WILLINGNESS TO HOLD OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE. BUT MORE BAD NEWS MIGHT BE ON THE WAY. OFFICER DEJON PACKER DIED OF FENTANYL OVERDOSE LAST YEAR AT HIS MILPITAS HOME. MILPITAS POLICE TELL ME THEY HAVE DELIVERED THEIR FILE TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR POSSIBLE PROSECUTION. A FORMER PROSECUTOR TELLS US THAT COULD BRING UP NEW QUESTIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT HE WORKED FOR. >> THIS IS A VERY BIG DEVELOPMENT, AND WITH THE NEW PROSECUTORIAL FOCUS ON FENTANYL, THEY'RE THROWING THE BOOK AT THE DRUG DEALERS WHO ARE SUPPLYING IT. >> Reporter: POLICE SOURCES ALSO TELL ME DEJON PACKER WAS WITH FELLOW SAN JOSE POLICE OFFICERS THE NIGHT HE DIED. >> I THINK THE QUESTION WILL BE, CAN THEY TRACK THE FENTANYL TO A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL? AND WHO ELSE WAS THERE? WHO ELSE WITNESSED THE INGESTION OF THE FENTANYL? IT WILL BE KEY HERE. >> Reporter: THE D.A.'S OFFICE TELLS ME THEY DO NOT COMMENT ABOUT CASES THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE INVESTIGATING. AS FOR THE TERMINATION NOTICES, THE SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT TELLS ME IT DOESN'T COMMENT ON ONGOING PERSONNEL MATTERS. BUT THE RANK AND FILE ARE TALKING PRIVATELY, CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE OF THEIR DEPARTMENT AND WHAT COMES NEXT.

Channel: NBC Bay Area

Views: 61,916

Keywords: San Jose police, San Jose Police Department, San Jose, police scandal, Bay Area news

Id: sFnjjMxeJFA

Length: 2min 57sec (177 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 10 2023