In the spring of 1999, Captain Chuck Jackson, the commander of the Inmate Reception Center, received a phone call from the sheriff instructing him to create a program that would be a modern version of the historic chain gangs. Instead of having inmates clean up along roads and highways as they had done in chain gangs, the new program would have inmates, supervised by deputies, perform community improvement in neighborhoods. The purpose of the program was to not only improve neighborhoods, but also educate and train inmates so that once they were released from jail they would obtain jobs and not be rearrested. When Jackson received the order, he knew exactly who he would choose to supervise the program. He contacted Sergeant Scott Chew, who agreed to start and run the program. Chew was assigned to write a concept and budget memo to explain how the program would operate and how much it would cost. His memo described the new PACE Program, which consisted of three crews of in-custody inmate workers, each supervised by a deputy sheriff, providing manual labor for public service projects. Two weeks after submitting the memo, Chew was instructed to find inmates to participate in the program.
PACE IS CREATED The Prisoner Assisted Community Enhancement (PACE) Program began in May 1999, and was developed into a vocational program to educate and train inmates in a trade so that once they were released they could obtain employment in that trade. The program was funded by the Inmate Welfare Fund, which provided funds for programs that rehabilitated inmates and provided on-the-job training to prevent recidivism. Because it was an educational and vocational training program, the Inmate Welfare Fund paid for the vans, trailers, and tools and equipment needed by the inmates to clean up the communities. Some of the equipment purchased included lawn mowers, leaf blowers, rakes, shovels and weed whackers. There was no cost to the County or the cities where the work was performed. Each workday, the PACE deputies checked all of the equipment and tools into the storage room. They made sure that everything that was checked out was returned, especially any tools that could be used as weapons by inmates.
GOALS Their assignment was to complete community improvement projects. Each provided manual labor for public service projects throughout Los Angeles County. These projects included trash cleanup, graffiti abatement, landscape maintenance and support for various COPS programs (alley/street/home cleanup, abatements, etc.). The crews were available on a daily basis, Monday through Friday. If a community improvement project needed to be done but there was no money to perform the job, the PACE inmates would complete it.
The inmates cleaned up trash and garbage that was dumped onto the property. They loaded the trash into a truck provided by the city’s public works, which then took the load to the dump. The public works employee who drove the truck would oversee the work as it was being completed. When the program was first formed, inmates did not paint over graffiti. Eventually, inmates did paint over graffiti on the exterior of some homes.
INMATE QUALIFICATIONS The inmates chosen for the program were convicted of misdemeanors such as drunk driving and other traffic offenses. Inmates convicted of felonies were not allowed in this program. Also, inmates with drug convictions were not allowed in this program. The inmates who were chosen displayed the ability to do the physical work, and it was not required for them to have knowledge of how to operate the equipment prior to taking the job. All inmates were interviewed by Jail classification and a background check was conducted.
INMATE HOUSING The inmates were housed at three different custody facilities: Men’s Central Jail, Pitchess Detention Center South Facility and Tower II of Twin Towers Custody Facility. Each crew was supervised by a uniformed deputy, furnished by each of the facilities. The inmates were transported in a fully equipped, marked Sheriff’s Department 12-passenger van. A trailer with work tools and a portable toilet were towed by the van.
TRAINING The inmates were trained on how to properly operate the gardening equipment and tools by an instructor from the Hacienda/La Puente School District. This also added to the credibility of the program, since the inmates were trained by a certified teacher. The training was conducted before the inmates went out into the community. The instructor made sure that the inmates were properly trained on each tool and piece of equipment. Once an inmate was trained, they were presented with a certificate of completion.
PACE CONTRACT The PACE teams could be deployed in any area of the county or any city in Los Angeles County. The only requirement was that the city manager or a member of the City Council must sign a contract with the County for these services. During the entire time of the program, there were no major inmate injuries. Inmates only suffered minor cuts. The only damage that occurred was one time when a rock was propelled by a weed whacker, breaking a window in the van. There was no charge to cities for the cleanup service performed by the inmates.
March 2017 Star News 23
INMATE SECURITY Before an inmate could be taken out on the PACE crew, the deputy who supervised them obtained a jail record card with the inmate’s information and photograph. At Central Jail, the cards were left in the 6000 hospital control booth. When the inmates returned to Central Jail, each one was checked against the cards to ensure that all inmates had returned to the jail. If an inmate ever escaped, their information would be readily available.
FIRST PACE DEPUTY The first deputy hired by Chew was Deputy Al Verduzco, who was working at Men’s Central Jail at the time. Verduzco had been a coach. During his time as a coach, he watched films of NFL coaches. From these films he studied leadership. As a supervisor of the PACE inmates, Verduzco was able to utilize these skills to inspire inmates to complete a job even though the inmates were discouraged or overwhelmed.
CITY OF COMPTON The PACE Program began during a recession. Many homes in the City of Compton were abandoned. HUD was so desperate to sell the homes, they were selling for as little as $20,000 to $30,000. Gang members were taking over abandoned homes and using them to sleep in. The gangsters painted graffiti all over the interior and exterior of the homes. The trees, plants and weeds had overgrown the yards, making the neighborhoods look completely run-down. Windows were broken out of many of the homes. Homes that had been boarded up were covered with graffiti, and trash was dumped in vacant lots. This type of atmosphere attracted criminals and criminal activity. Verduzco contacted the Public Works Department from the City of Compton and coordinated with them to identify abandoned homes that the inmates could refurbish. The PACE inmates cleaned up trash that was dumped on the property, trimmed overgrown bushes and trees, and painted over graffiti. Once the PACE inmates began cleaning up neighborhoods in Compton, City Council members began providing addresses in their neighborhoods that needed cleaning up. After an abandoned house was cleaned up, the City placed a lien on the house in order to have the homeowner maintain the property. When gang members observed a uniformed deputy supervising inmates cleaning up a property, they assumed that the Sheriff’s Department owned the property, so they avoided it. The marked Sheriff’s van encouraged local residents to come by and ask what they were doing. Citizens were impressed that the Sheriff’s Department was cleaning up their community even though it wasn’t the agency providing police services to Compton. Citizens also asked how the Sheriff’s Department handled different situations. They wanted to compare the Sheriff’s Department services to those of their current Compton Police Department. At times, City Council members would stop by and ask Verduzco about how the Sheriff’s Department handled different situations. One day, the mayor of Compton came by and asked Verduzco questions about the Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Department took over policing Compton under a contract in the fall of 2000.
OTHER PROJECTS One time, the PACE van used by Verduzco to transport inmates to their work location was being repaired. Because of this, he was not able to transport inmates to an area that needed cleaning up. Since his work crew was housed in Central Jail, Verduzco would take them outside, where they painted the outside walls around Central Jail. They also painted “Men’s Central Jail” on the wall at the corner of the street leading to Men’s Central Jail and Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
At times, the PACE deputies were contacted by other units on the Department, such as Homicide, Operation Safe Streets, COPS teams and special assignment teams, to clean up areas related to their cases. Homicide detectives contacted Chew and requested a PACE crew to come out to a warehouse filled with tires. They were informed that a dead body was concealed under the tires. Verduzco’s crew moved all of the tires but did not find a body. There were other times when PACE inmates were required to provide additional workers to clean up after charity events. After working the PACE program for a year, Verduzco transferred to Inmate Reception Center.
NEIGHBORHOOD ACCEPTANCE Over the life of the program, there was only one complaint. A person who lived in the neighborhood where the PACE inmates were working complained because he didn’t want prisoners working in his neighborhood. Many citizens who lived in the neighborhoods that were being cleaned up would ask what the inmates were doing, and when they were told, the citizens were very appreciative of what was taking place. In East L.A., the citizens were so appreciative that the inmates were helping beautify their neighborhood that a few times a week the residents would bring them cold drinks and homemade tortillas.
JOB EXPERIENCE For many of the inmates, this was the first time they had a real job where they had a supervisor explain to them what they needed them to do. This was also the first time they had to go to work every day. They learned to work as a team and help each other succeed. Some of the public works personnel observed the exceptionally good workers, and after they were released from jail, some of them were hired by those cities.
INMATES’ APPRECIATION Deputy Karen Covey received letters from former inmates who had been on the PACE crew. In the letters, the former inmates thanked Covey for steering them in a new positive direction. Some of them were very artistic and had drawn pictures for the deputy. One of them sent Covey a picture she had drawn of the PACE van. Another inmate created crowns from palm tree leaves that they had removed from one of the properties. Deputy Lynda Embernate replaced Covey when she transferred from Twin Towers to patrol. While Embernate was working the PACE Program, her father passed away. She took off work for two weeks to grieve and settle family affairs. When she returned to work, some of the inmates on her work crew had created sympathy cards for her. Other inmates picked flowers at the location they were cleaning up and gave them to her. While Embernate was eating lunch with the inmates, the inmates would tell her about the difficulties they encountered growing up. One of the inmates told Embernate that her mother gave her heroin when she was just 10 years old. The girl became a heroin addict by the time she was 11. The inmates also asked her questions, such as “What is it like to be clean your entire life?” or “You never wanted to use drugs?” Many of the female inmates told details about being molested as they were growing up. This seemed to be a big factor in the direction their life took.
PACE PROGRAM DISBANDED The PACE Program no longer exists. Budget constraints halted the program in 2001. PACE’s successes and struggles are fondly remembered by those who led this unique program.

New Mexico State Prison Riot
The New Mexico State Penitentiary, a maximum security facility near Santa Fe, was the scene of one of the most brutal prison riots in American history.

On a Saturday in the early morning hours of February 2, 1980, two inmates were drinking homemade alcohol and were caught by a prison guard. The inmates overpowered the guard and took four more officers hostage. One officer who fled accidently dropped his keys. This allowed the inmates to open the gates and release other prisoners from their cells.

The inmates attacked the master control center, which only had glass windows to keep the inmates out of the center. There were no bars over the windows. The inmates worked as a team, taking turns striking one of the windows with a fire extinguisher. At first a huge crack in the shape of a “Y” appeared in the window. The inmates persisted and were able
to break the window out.

Inmates streamed into the control center and took it over. This gave them access to the controls of the main door locks and gates, which allowed them to let inmates into restricted areas. The control center also held an arsenal of weapons, which the inmates removed and used to their advantage. There was also a locker of keys that gave the inmates access to other areas of the prison.

Some of the most violent inmates who had been locked in solitary confinement were loose and leading gangs of inmates to commit violence throughout the prison. Rival gangs were fighting and killing each other.

The inmates attempted to break into the protective custody unit, which held informants and inmates convicted of sex crimes. When they found their keys wouldn’t work, they located acetylene torches that were being used in a construction project. They spent five hours cutting through the bars.

Inmates were pulled from their cells and tortured. Some of the most horrific violence occurred during this time. Inmates were dismembered, decapitated, and burned alive. They were killed with knives, work tools, and pipes. One inmate was tortured and killed with a blowtorch.

The inmates from the protective custody unit could have been rescued but the state police would not enter the prison while prison officers were being held hostage.

After 36 hours, the riot was over. During that time, 33 inmates were killed and over 200 injured. The details of this ordeal were broadcast on news reports throughout the country. Lieutenant Mike Nelson, who was the Training Lieutenant assigned to
the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Men’s Central Jail, watched the news in disbelief as he realized that this could also happen at Central Jail.

Men’s Central Jail
Lieutenant Nelson looked at the windows of the control booths inside Central Jail. The windows had wire mesh in the glass but they weren’t bulletproof. The wire mesh was supposed to keep inmates from breaking through the glass, but the New Mexico prison riot proved that theory wrong. Also, the windows on some of the control booths were up higher to make it more difficult for inmates to reach them. But what was learned from the New Mexico riot was that they could be reached and broken out by multiple inmates working together.

Lieutenant Nelson realized the vulnerability of these windows. He talked to the Captain and the Custody Division Chief and explained that the inmates inside Central Jail had seen the news and saw the New Mexico prison riot footage. The inmates realized that the Central Jail control booth windows could be broken out with fire extinguishers and trash cans, and that once the control booth windows were gone, the inmates could take over that part of the jail and let other inmates out of their cells. It would be complete chaos.

But the biggest concern, Lieutenant Nelson said, was main control. Central Jail’s main control was surrounded by windows that were at eye level. The windows could easily be broken out, and inmates could storm inside, where they would have access to gates leading outside the jail.

They would also have access to keys to every door in the facility. The communication system was run from main control and controlled all prowl phones throughout the facility. Weapons were also stored in main control in the event of a riot. Inmates would have access to all of these weapons. If main control was taken over, the jail would be lost.

The Captain of Men’s Central Jail and Custody Division Chief both said there was no money to install bars over the control booth windows. But Lieutenant Nelson was persistent. He told them he would investigate how much it would cost to purchase and install bars on every control booth in the facility.

Lieutenant Nelson, with the assistance of his training staff, measured all of the control booth windows in Central Jail to determine how many feet of flat bar steel ¼-inch thick it would take to protect the windows. He determined the cost to purchase the steel bars and got a bid from the Mechanical Department to install them. Installation required that workers bore threaded holes into the walls and bolt the bars across the windows, spacing the bars close enough so that a person couldn’t get through. The cost was less than $170,000.

The Department’s administrators felt that the need to install the bars was so critical that they funded the project. Once the project was approved, it took three months to complete the job.

Since that time, there’ve been several riots at Men’s Central Jail. None of the riots spread outside their immediate modules. Due to the concern and diligence of Department members like Lieutenant Nelson, LASD jails are much safer for both inmates and Sheriff’s personnel.

Deputies throughout the Sheriff’s Department often leave the engines of their radio cars running when they are not in their vehicles. When asked why, many of them reply, “We’ve always done it that way.”

Tube Radios
Deputies began keeping their patrol car engines running in 1932. That year, radios had been installed in patrol cars for the very first time. The radios were the old-fashioned type, with tubes. When tube radios were turned on, it was necessary for the tubes to warm up before the radio would operate. This would take several minutes. At that time, the only way deputies could request emergent assistance was with the radio in the patrol car. Deputies did not have handheld radios.

If a deputy was handling a call and the situation required him to request assistance, he had to run out to his patrol car and use the car radio. If a deputy had turned the engine off, it was necessary for him to start the engine and wait several minutes for the tubes to warm up before he could use the radio to call for help. But, if he left the engine running, he could run out to the car and immediately use the radio to call for assistance. Because of this, deputies always left their engines running.

Six-Volt Car Batteries

Up until 1957, radio cars were equipped with six-volt batteries that were recharged with a generator. These batteries were inefficient to power the radio car’s engine, emergency lights and mechanical siren. In fact, the mechanical siren used so much power that deputies had to use it sparingly while rolling Code 3, or the battery would die and the engine would no longer run. After a Code 3 run, it was necessary for deputies to keep their engines running to recharge the batteries that had been depleted by the operation of the lights and siren.

 

12-Volt Car Batteries
In 1957, the Sheriff’s Department switched from radio cars with six-volt batteries recharged by generators, to radio cars with 12-volt batteries that used alternators for recharging. The 12-volt batteries lasted longer and the alternator was more efficient at recharging the car battery. But deputies continued to keep their radio cars running while they were out of them in order to recharge the batteries after a Code 3 run.

 

Electronic Sirens
In 1963, radio cars were no longer equipped with mechanical sirens. Electronic sirens that required much less battery power were installed in radio cars. The vehicle’s battery was no longer depleted by a Code 3 run, yet deputies continued to keep their engines running while they were not in them.

Outside Speakers
Prior to using handheld radios, deputies heard their calls when they were not in the vehicles by switching the radio to an outside speaker. To prevent the car battery from running down, the engine had to be running.

Radio Extenders
In 1974, a pilot program began that allowed deputies to wear radio extenders on their Sam Brownes. Extenders looked just like handheld radios but would not transmit to the radio room by themselves. They were basically an extension of the microphone that was connected to the patrol car radio. The extender only worked at short distances. When the mic button was pressed on the extender, it was basically a wireless microphone that used the patrol car radio to transmit. In order for the extender to work, the radio had to be turned on in the patrol car. To keep the battery from running down, the engine of the patrol car had to be running. There were many problems with the extenders, so they were not used in patrol for very long.

Portable Radios
In 1989, deputies working patrol began wearing portable radios on their Sam Brownes. It was no longer necessary for them to switch their radios to broadcast over the outside speaker since they could hear the calls over their portable radios. Out of habit, deputies still kept their radio cars running after they exited them

Halogen Lights
When mobile digital terminals were first installed in radio cars in 1988, the light bars on the cars were the older type with halogen lamps. These multiple lamps inside the light bar required more current than the battery or alternator could provide. This caused the car battery to drain during a code-3 run. When the light bar was used for a prolonged period of time, the battery drained completely and the engine stopped. There was not enough voltage in the battery to restart the engine. In an attempt to provide more current to the light bar during code-3 operations, the air conditioning was disabled when the light bar was operated.

The battery still drained during code-3 operations, although not as quickly. At the end of a code-3 run, it was necessary for deputies to keep the radio car engine running in order to recharge the battery.

Emergency Lights
When it was necessary for deputies to turn on their emergency lights when they were outside their vehicles directing traffic, they kept the engines running so the emergency lights didn’t deplete the battery.

Engine Running and Unattended

Law enforcement officers are always telling citizens not to leave their car unattended with the engine running because someone will drive off with it, yet deputies will often do the same thing. One of the most dangerous incidents to occur is for someone to steal a radio car that was left running. This could be extremely unsafe for drivers traveling on the same street as the car thief who is trying to evade pursuing deputies. It is very embarrassing for the deputy whose car was stolen, especially if the pursuit is broadcast on T.V. and the suspect crashes. An incident of this type will follow a deputy the rest of his career.

Turn Off Your Engines
Historically, there have been good reasons for deputies to keep their radio car engines running while they were not in their vehicles. When those reasons disappeared, out of habit, deputies continued to run their engines after exiting their radio cars. Many times we do things because they have always been done that way. There are still several reasons deputies should leave their cars running when they are not in them. This includes, powering the emergency lights for traffic control so the batteries are not depleted, or keeping the interior of the vehicle cool during summer months to prevent the electronics from overheating.

© Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Museum

The Hall of Justice Jail opened in 1926 and was constructed with the best technology known at that time. After years of use, many cracks and crevices developed creating locations for inmates to hide contraband.

When I began working at the Hall of Justice Jail in 1975 it was already fifty years old. The metal walls of the jail cells and at the places where they attached to the cement floors had deteriorated due to age and constant exposure to water from mopping. The bottom edge of the walls contained many crevices where contraband could be hidden from deputies. Crevices also existed around the sinks and toilets which inmates used as hiding places for drugs and makeshift weapons. When deputies entered a cell to search it, they were limited on the time they could spend in each and the inmates knew it. The inmates would secrete contraband in a crevice and then push pieces of toilet tissue down behind it. This prevented deputies from seeing the contraband. The tissue and contraband was often pushed down so deeply it rendered it impossible to remove with only fingers. Inmates, blessed with the luxury of time, could spend hours or days working the contraband back out again for their use. One frustrated, but creative deputy, finally designed a search tool to accomplish what his and his partners’ bare hands could not.

His invention: a metal search probe made from a piece of heavy duty coat hanger wire. These probes were approximately 5 inches long. The last ¼ inch of the wire was bent into a small hook. On the top end, the wire was formed into a one inch diameter circle and bent at a 90 degree angle. This allowed deputies to carry the probe in their uniform shirts next to their pen and pencil so it could easily be retrieved. It also gave deputies leverage to pull back on the probe to remove items blocking contraband or to remove the contraband. This clever, thin wire probe could reach contraband hidden in narrow crevices.

Another way deputies used search probes was to keep the locking mechanisms of cell gates free of debris. Inmates discovered that if they stuffed toilet tissue into the locking mechanism of their cell gate it would not lock shut. It would close but could be pulled open later when deputies weren’t looking down the row. Deputies used their probes when they did row searches to check the cells to locate toilet tissue inserted in the door locks and remove it so inmates couldn’t unexpectedly exit.

In the rear of each jail cell an air vent with multiple small holes led into the pipe chase containing all the plumbing for the cells. Inmates would tie a piece of string between several holes of the vent and then drop contraband out of sight through into the pipe chase retrieving it at their convenience. Deputies also used the search probe to grasp the string and retrieve this contraband.

The search probe was used frequently to search areas where deputies did not want to place their bare hands, e.g., the inner lip of cell toilets. Inmates would make jail made alcohol called “Pruno.” They would seal it in a plastic bag and then tie a string to it. The string would be attached to the toilet. The bag of pruno would then be flushed down the toilet. The bag would be out of sight but could be retrieved by pulling the string. The search probe was used to locate and pull on the string to retrieve the pruno bag.

Inmates were always trying to create distractions or injure deputies so that their attention was focused away from retrieving the inmate’s contraband or conducting a thorough search. Inmates would attach razor blades to the bed frame out of view. Deputies who ran their hands along the inside frames looking for contraband would cut themselves bringing their search to an abrupt end. To prevent injuries of this kind, deputies used their search probes in lieu of their hands to check the inside of the frames to dislodge any sharp objects or contraband.

The search probe was a simple tool made from the simplest of devices, but it made a huge difference in both the safety and security of the jail. When I started working at the Hall of Justice Jail all of the prowlers carried a search probe. Over time, module deputies saw the benefits of using the probe during cell searches and eventually created their own probes. Remarkably, this tool seemed to be unique to the Hall of Justice Jail. Deputies at other jails, such Men’s Central Jail and Sybil Brand Institute, even though their facilities had similar issues, never developed or carried a similar device.

Unlike any other jail in Los Angeles County, the Hall of Justice Jail known as HOJJ, was located in the upper 10th through 14th floors of the downtown Hall of Justice. Its location high up in the building appeared to be more of a challenge for inmates who intended to escape. If an inmate was able to make his way outside of the building, he had a second challenge, getting safely down to the ground floor. Because the Hall of Justice is located in busy downtown Los Angeles an inmate climbing down the side of the building would be easily seen from the street.

From the time the Hall of Justice Jail was opened in 1926 inmates continually escaped. Most escapees found a way to get outside of the building and then tied bed sheets together and slid down to freedom. A very few, used rock climbing skills and climbed down the building exterior. Some inmates escaped as they were loaded off the Sheriff’s bus in the HOJJ compound. They slipped their handcuffs and then scaled the huge wall surrounding the bus loading area.

There were many factors that made it easy for inmates to escape from the Hall of Justice Jail. The Jail was built in 1925 so it did not have some of the newer technology to detect and prevent escapes. The building did not have air conditioning, instead there were many windows all around the building that were opened in order to cool down the inside. Rows of cells on the backside of the module were close to the outside windows which enabled inmates to drop fish lines out of the open windows. If an inmate was able to get the fish line past the parapet that ran all the way around the building on the 10th floor, they could have someone tie hacksaw blades on it and pull it back up. On each floor, two deputies were responsible for inmates housed in their cells. One covered the modules on the north and east side of the building. The other was responsible for the modules on the south and west side of the building. These Deputies had to open gates to allow inmates to attend visits, attorney room, clinic, and also supervise food carts that were placed in each module to feed the inmates. While deputies were busy, some inmates were busy working on their escape. They used hacksaw blades, brought in by a fish line or a person paid to be arrested who would hide it in their rectum. It would take them days to cut through the bars. When they were finished cutting the bars for that day, they would conceal the cutting of the bars by filling the cut area with a mixture of toothpaste or soap and chips of paint removed from other cell bars.

Inmates would accumulate numerous sheets and hide them or have fellow inmates hide extra sheets on their beds. When they were ready to escape, they tied the sheets together to slide down the side of the building. They didn’t need enough sheets to go all the way down to the ground floor. They knew that once they got past the 9th floor the building was not secure. Many times they slid down to the 8th floor and then broke out a window, climbed in and made their escape down the interior stairs. Deputies who worked the courtrooms on the 8th floor of the Hall of Justice said when they arrived at the courtroom in the morning and a window was broken out, they knew there had been an escape the night before.

On January, 27 1987, Twenty four year old Dwight Meal was arrested for murder and confined in the Hall of Justice Jail. He became friends with another inmate who was also in on murder charges. Facing life in prison, they desperately searched for a way to escape. They noticed that the windows leading to the outside were very small so they were going to have to lose weight in order to fit through. Both of the inmates went on a strict diet and by September 27, the inmates had lost 30 pounds and were ready to implement their escape plan. Their plan involved convincing a Deputy to allow them to enter an officer’s walkway in order to have access to the outside windows. Everything was falling into place when they learned that the Deputy assigned to their 11th floor jail module that day was just out of the academy and was not familiar with all of the jail security procedures. The inmates told the deputy that they needed to enter a locked officer’s walkway in order to mop the floor. Inmates were never allowed to enter this area. The walkway ran between the bars which enclosed the area outside of the row of cells and the screened outside windows. After the deputy unlocked the gate allowing the inmates to enter the restricted area, he left them to mop the floor as he returned to performing other duties. The Deputy was not aware that the large double mop bucket the inmates were using, contained soapy water which concealed a braided rope made of bed sheets. The inmates began mopping the floor until the deputy left the area. After the deputy was gone, they pried the top of the security screen from the interior of the outside window. They removed the braided rope from the soapy water and tied it to a water pipe and then climbed out of the window. They were eleven stories up and the rope wasn’t long enough to reach the ground.
It was common knowledge among the inmates that they only needed a rope long enough to get down to the eighth floor which was below the secure jail floors. They would then break a window, climb in and down the stairs on the interior of the building and then out an exit door to freedom.
Inmate Meal pulled the braided rope out of the window and draped it down the side of the building. He grabbed the rope and began his descent. The rope made of bed sheets had been soaking in the soapy water so long that it was very slippery. When Meal grabbed the rope, the slippery surface and the small diameter did not allow him to get a good grasp. He went sliding rapidly down the rope without ever being able to get a good hold of it to even slow him down. Because the rope did not go all the way down to the ground, when inmate Meal reached the end, he went plummeting towards the ground. His girlfriend, who was waiting in a car across the street, watched in horror as Meal plunged to his death. He landed in the bushes along the west side of the building. His girlfriend panicked and immediately drove off. The other inmate, standing on the outside of the building, climbed back inside and untied the rope from the water pipe. He dropped the rope out the window and it fell next to inmate Meal’s dead body. Meal’s girlfriend went to a payphone and called the Hall of Justice Jail to report his death. A deputy assigned to the jail compound was dispatched to search the area. After an intense search he found Meal’s body on a ledge at the base of the building, hidden behind some bushes.
Over the years, there have been many escapes from the Hall of Justice Jail. Inmates who successfully escaped ascended down the side of the building using dry bed sheets that were tied together, a fire hose, electric cord or any other form of rope that was accessible to them. This is one of the few unforeseen accidents where an inmate attempting to conceal a rope created a slippery surface that would not allow him to get a grasp of it, and plunged to his death.

In April 1936, the California State Peace Officer Association held meetings on how to better educate state peace officers. In December of that year, Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz formed the Sheriff’s Institute of Technical Training. It took almost a year before classes began, and then they were not classes on law enforcement techniques and methods, but classes taught by UCLA professors on how to teach. In February 1938, after the new instructors were ready to teach, a ten section curriculum was developed which was subdivided into specific areas. The training of recruits was not begun until 1940.

By July 1958, Captain H.B. Cramer of the Training and Emergency Services Bureau noted that his personnel were conducting training in a range of areas. Recruit Academy was now 8 weeks long. There was a 40 hour sergeant supervisory school and a roll call training program designed to be conducted at the station level. There was an 8 hour narcotics seminar and ongoing training for reserves. Other courses included an 80 hour Special Enforcement Detail School, a Special Weapons School, a 40 hour Civil Bailiff’s School, and a similar school for County Marshals, a 16 hour Traffic Law Enforcement School, and a 120 hour Traffic Law Enforcement and Accident Investigation School. There was also a 4 hour course in how to roll fingerprints and a telephone training school for both civilian and sworn personnel.

In 1959, the California State Legislature created the Commission on Peace Officer’s Standards and Training. Newly elected Sheriff Peter J. Pitchess wanted our personnel to be the best trained in the country. So he began a process to take department training to a new level. To accomplish this he brought in Lieutenant Howard Earl. Earl had an education background and brought in a staff of respected instructors including Sergeants David Dock Parnell and Frank Waldren and Deputies James White, Gaylord Campbell, Gil McMullen, Bill Bacon, Horton Steele, Bill Hammer, Gordy Greybehl, John Knox, Jim Grant, Jim Starkey, Richard McGrath and Tom Degraw. All of these personnel became department leaders. They greatly improved the recruit training curriculum and doubled the course of instruction to 16 weeks.

Lieutenant Earl also realized that, in addition to enhanced training, the Training Bureau needed a logo to signify the Academy’s purpose. He assigned Sergeant Parnell to design a logo that would graphically display the Academy’s mission. Parnell wanted the logo to stand out and look unique so he chose a diamond shape. Lieutenant Earl felt the Academy’s purpose was to instill knowledge so deputies could provide justice. This led to the inscription “Justice Through Knowledge.” The Roman Sword symbolized the power to overcome the criminal element. The sword was placed in the center of the logo in the middle of the Scales of Justice. This symbolized that protection and justice worked together. The tip of the sword is directed at a six pointed star representing the Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff Pitchess also wanted the Training Bureau staff to look like an elite unit. To that end he ordered staff instructors to develop additions to their uniforms that would give them a unique look distinctive from the custody deputies assigned to nearby Biscailuz Center Jail. The first approved uniform accessory was pips added to the uniform epilates. Deputy Bacon, assisted by his wife’s sewing skills, designed this two inch wide white stripe with gold borders along each side that were the original pips. Other accessories that were approved by the Sheriff for special occasions were white belts, white leggings and bayonets. The only item not approved was a swagger stick.

The proud history of law enforcement education on the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department stretches back almost 80 years. The men and women of the Training Bureau have a proud heritage and legacy. Their goal from the beginning has always been to prepare their students to better serve the citizens of Los Angeles County.

A Moment in History
Provided by
The Los Angeles Sheriffs’ Museum

Shortly before midnight on November 25th, 1978, Deputies Ken Moulton and Wilma Morris were at San Dimas Sheriff’s Station booking suspects they just arrested at a large party in Covina. With their booking paperwork long from completed, they heard the station dispatcher announce over the public address system, “Any unit to handle, any unit to assist, 211 Silent at Pinnacle Peak Restaurant.” A silent robbery alarm was activated at this popular Western themed restaurant barely a mile north of the station along historic Route 66. Knowing that the unit patrolling San Dimas was busy on a call at the time and unavailable to respond, Deputies Moulton and Morris informed the jailer that they would finish booking their prisoners later and told the dispatcher that they would investigate the silent alarm.

Moulton and Morris knew that this was a common call at Pinnacle Peak. They figured that one of the employees cleaning up the restaurant accidently tripped the alarm again. Still, all calls like this one need to be handled with the belief that they may be the real thing. So both deputies ran quickly out of the station and jumped into their radio car. Riding with them that night as an observer was Deputy Moulton’s brother-in-law. He had aspirations to be a peace officer, and was on an official ride-along to see what being a cop was all about.

Sergeant Griffin, the field sergeant, also responded to Pinnacle Peek and he covered the front of the restaurant as Deputies Moulton and Morris went to the rear. Deputy Moulton ordered his brother-in-law to stay in the patrol car and to use the radio to call for help if he thought that they needed it. November 1978 was over a decade before deputies were equipped with handheld radios. So when trouble was encountered, a deputy needed to retreat back to his or her patrol call to request assistance. Moulton’s brother-in-law eagerly agreed to this task fully expecting that nothing would be required of him.

Pinnacle Peak had been closed for over an hour so Sergeant Griffin was not surprised when he discovered that the front door of the restaurant was locked. Despite several false alarms recently, Deputies Morris and Moulton still approached the rear of the location with all do caution. Wilma was armed with a shotgun and Ken held his revolver at the ready.

Both deputies knew that Pinnacle Peak’s employees wore western garb consistent with the restaurant’s theme. This actually caused a moment of confusion as the deputies entered the scullery near the restaurant’s back entrance. As they entered this room, they heard the sound of loose coins being shaken together and peered around a dish washing machine to see where this sound was coming from. When they did they saw a man wearing a red bandana tied behind his head covering his mouth. He was holding a money bag in his left hand and a sawed off shotgun in his right and looked like a stereotypical outlaw from an Old West movie. This caused Deputy Moulton to wonder at first why an employee would be messing around like this. His mind was not ready to process that this was a robbery suspect. The fact that the man was nonchalantly going about his business and did not at first notice him added to Moulton’s confusion. That all changed when the man became aware of the deputies and began turning his shotgun toward them.

Instantly, Deputy Moulton realized this was no employee, but a robbery suspect. He yelled, “Freeze.” And Deputy Morris echoed, “It’s the police!” Wilma then noticed movement through a small opening between one of the dish washing machines and a wall and realized that there was a second suspect. She saw he also held a money bag and a shotgun.

This second suspect began turning his weapon toward the deputies and Wilma realized that he was about to fire at her, but the washing machine restricted her ability to get off a clear shot. The only way she could engage the suspect was to fire through a small opening underneath the washing machine where the suspect’s legs were exposed. She fired a round from her shotgun striking the suspect. The effect of the round was so devastating it nearly took off the man’s leg and he crumbled to the ground. The first suspect continued turning his shotgun toward the deputies as he retreated into the other room. Deputy Moulton fired three rounds at this suspect, but missed. Both deputies then made a hasty retreat outside of the restaurant covering the exits with their weapons.

Needless to say, Deputy Moulton’s brother-in-law proved to be a poor radio operator. Deputy Morris handed her shotgun to Moulton while she ran back to the radio car to request assistance and notify San Dimas units of the shooting and the suspects inside Pinnacle Peek.

What the deputies didn’t know at the time was that there were in fact three suspects. They were all members of the Vagos outlaw motorcycle gang and held up the restaurant just after it closed. The suspects bound and gagged all of the employees and ordered them to the ground then started going through the restaurant removing money from all of the cash registers. The silent alarm was triggered when the registers were opened.

With the suspects in control of the employees, the incident turned into a hostage situation. Additional patrol units responded and set up a containment. Station Detective Oliver called into the restaurant and began a dialog with the suspects. But as this conversation was taking place, the suspects realized that the rear door to the restaurant was not closed when the deputies exited. This door opened out; so anyone trying to close it would expose themselves to the deputies. The suspects believed that if the door remained open it would allow the deputies to rush in without any advanced notice. In order to prevent this, one of the male hostages was untied and a suspect held a shotgun to his head and instructed him to pull the door closed. The deputies could hear the suspect tell the employee, “Just get the door and pull it closed.” They then observed a young employee approach the doorway shaking nervously with his hands in the air. He told the deputies “I’m a hostage. I have to close the door.”

A suspect was behind the victim and could not see the deputies. Deputy Moulton did not say anything out loud, but mouthed the word “jump” to the hostage several times and indicated the direction where he wanted the man to leap to safety. The employee mustered up his courage, then looked over his left shoulder and jumped out of the doorway. Deputy Moulton fired two shotgun rounds into the door to prevent the suspect from chasing after the man to recapture him. It was later learned that several of the shotgun pellets ricocheted off the door and struck the suspect in the arm and grazed his forehead.

After this shooting took place, Detective Oliver told the suspects that if they harmed one hair on a hostage’s head in retaliation, deputies would kill all of them. Oliver’s manner was direct, but it was effective. The suspects realized that they were in a no win situation. The suspect shot by Deputy Morris was bleeding profusely and needed immediate medical attention. The second suspect’s injuries were not as bad, but he also needed help. Still, given that two of them were shot by the deputies, they were not feeling particularly trusting. Before any of them surrendered, they requested that the deputies contact the secretary of their motorcycle gang, a man known as “Terry the Tramp,” and bring him to the scene to act as a neutral witness to their surrender. Deputies were sent to the Terry’s house. They got him out of bed and transported him to Pinnacle Peak. After Terry arrived, the first wounded suspect crawled out of the front of the restaurant and was transported to a hospital under guard. After three more hours of negotiation, the two remaining suspects surrendered. None of the hostages were injured.

No matter how many times a false alarm is received from a location you never know when it might be the real thing. Fortunately, this gunfight ended with the bad guys in custody, no good guys injured and all the hostages safe.

And what did Deputy Moulton’s brother-in-law think of his experience that evening? Well, he got a lot more than he bargained for on his ride-along. It gave him a chance to see just what risks came with a career in law enforcement and what it might require of him. Armed with this knowledge he chose to enter another profession.

Copyright “Los Angeles Sheriffs’ Museum” 2014

(Compiled from an interview with Ken Moulton and reports written by Deputies Ken Moulton and Wilma Morris)

In 1975, an escape attempt occurred at the Hall of Justice Jail that shortened Deputy Bill Panzone’s career only days after it began and affected his life forever.

Bill Panzone started his career with the Sheriff’s Department on January 17, 1975. He was sworn in as a deputy sheriff and worked as an “Off the Streeter” at the Hall of Justice Jail for two months before his academy class started. The purpose of the Sheriff’s Department’s “Off the Streeter” program was to hire great applicants right away so they weren’t hired by another department. They worked as an “Off the Streeter” until the next academy class started. Panzone started immediately as a Deck Officer at the Hall of Justice Jail. By the time he started the academy, he was very familiar with procedures at the Hall of Justice Jail. He went to the Sheriff’s Academy at Biscailuz’ Center as a recruit on March 10, 1975 and was assigned to Class 173. Panzone and his classmates spent the next six months going through rigorous testing and training. With much pride, and all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds all LASD commencement ceremonies, he graduated from the Sheriff’s Academy on Friday, August 22, 1975. Two days later he reported to work back at the Hall of Justice Jail, this time as a full- fledged Deputy Sheriff.

As a “Fish Deputy,” a term used to describe new sworn personnel, Panzone was assigned to work 1250 Deck on the north side of the Hall of Justice. This module consisted of six long, linear rows. Four of these rows, containing twenty-two two man cells, emptied out into the gated in open area around the deck officer’s wooden desk. Two shorter rows containing thirteen two man cells were around the corner on east side of the building. These rows were known as 1275. That meant that if the cells were full, Panzone was responsible for 228 inmates. There were times in those days when floor sleepers would be given a mattress and assigned to a cell. So the number of inmates might be higher. Panzone’s Training Officer, Deputy John McQuay, was assigned to 1200 Deck on the south side of the building. 1200 was the mirror image of 1250 with a comparable number of inmates. The jail’s visiting room was also located on the 12th floor in an area in the center of the building between the two decks. Inmates and personnel could gain entry to the floor a number of ways. The main jail stairwell ran from the tenth floor to the fifteenth floor and opened outside the 1250 deck officer’s area. There was an additional stairwell that went ran through the deck officer’s stations from 1050 deck through 1350 deck and a smaller stairwell that traversed the jail between the 1075 area and 1375. Inmates could come and go through any or all of these stairwells so deck officers needed to be ever vigilant.

The PM shift on 1250 deck was extremely busy. For the first week Panzone was beginning to get the handle on the deck’s tough pace and starting to learn who the inmates were, but as his shift drew to a close on Friday August 29th, he found himself in a fight for his life. As their shift drew to a close that evening, Deputies Panzone and McQuay began locking the 12th floor inmates into their cells for the night. Because Deputy Panzone was still relatively new and on training, Deputy McQuay was assisting him, but he was around the corner out of Panzone’s sight locking down another row. Once the inmates on each row were locked in their cells, it was standard procedure for deck officers to open the first cell. This was where the trusties were housed and they were let out of their cells to clean up. One of the trusties then pushed the large trashcan off the row and into the officer’s area so it could be emptied.

Unbeknownst to Panzone, two inmates on one of the rows he was locking down planned an escape that night. Earlier, these inmates overpowered and tied up the two row trusties. They then hid them under bunks at the far end of the row so that Panzone wouldn’t see them. The plotters then waited in the trusties’ cell for Panzone to close all of the cell gates on the row and then open the gate to the first cell. The first part of their plan worked as they hoped. Panzone unlocked the trusty cell then opened the row gate so the trashcan could be removed. One trusty impersonator exited the cell and pushing the trashcan. But then everything went to hell. This inmate grabbed Deputy Panzone in a bear hug from the front, pinning his arms to his side. The other inmate exited the row holding the detached wooden brush from a push broom. He then began swinging the broom head as if he were wielding an axe striking Panzone repeatedly in the head.

Deputy McQuay heard the sound of the struggle and immediately shut the gate to the row he was locking down. As he locked the gate and the control box, he still heard the continued violent assault on Deputy Panzone. As Deputy McQuay ran around the corner, he observed the first inmate holding Panzone while the other was beating him with the broom head. McQuay saw several visible lacerations to Panzone’s head. McQuay guessed that the inmates were trying to knock Panzone out to get his keys. Panzone was able to free one hand and began punching the inmate who was holding him on the head even as he continued to receive strikes from the broom head by the other inmate. Finally, Panzone was able to free himself from the hold of the first inmate and was able to block a couple of strikes from the other inmate’s assault. Blocking these vicious strikes caused severe injuries to Panzone’s hand, wrist and shoulder. McQuay looked around for a weapon to counter the one in the possession of the inmate attacking his trainee and saw a broom handle. Using this as a baton, he jabbed one of the inmates in the side. This inmate screamed and both inmates turned and ran back onto the row. With his adrenalin flowing, McQuay ran after the inmates. As he did this, he knocked a prowl phone off the wall to get assistance from other deputies.

At that time, the prowl phone system was the only way to call for help in an emergency. If a deputy was in a fight, all he had to do was knock the prowl phone off the hook. The deputy in charge of communications in the Attorney Room would buzz the phone back. If no one answered, he would press an emergency system button that would cause small green lights to flash throughout the jail. Along with the light, a bell would ding to the same pattern of the light. The emergency code that was sounded over the light and bell system was 3-2. This indicated that deputies should pick up the nearest prowl phone to be told where to respond.

During this horrific attack on Deputy Panzone, it took some time for the bells to sound and for the prowlers to respond to 1250 Deck. Meanwhile, after running a few cells down the row after the inmates, Deputy McQuay realized that some of the cell gates were still open and he was vulnerable to attack from other inmates. The Hall of Justice Jail was built in mid-1920s. Fifty years later, the locking mechanisms were not as efficient as they once were. Compounding the vulnerability of the locks was the inmates’ practice of stuffing toilet paper into the mechanism which prevented them from securing. The cell gates appeared secure, but could easily be pulled open by an inmate. When McQuay saw several row gates open, he was fearful that other inmates on the row might attack him.

McQuay immediately exited the row and locked the entry gate. He quickly opened the gate control box and brought the arm down without issuing a warning slamming the gates closed. He hoped to trap the inmates who attacked Panzone outside their cells. When other deputies arrived, several carried the badly injured and bleeding Deputy Panzone to the jail clinic on the 14th floor. Other deputies backed up McQuay as he went down the row and identified the inmates who attacked his trainee. Once these inmates were removed from their cell they were searched. Hacksaw blades were found in their pockets. There also was a mark on one of the inmate’s sides where McQuay jabbed him with the broom handle.

Deputy Panzone was transported to White Memorial Hospital. After their shift ended, all of Panzone’s fellow deputies visited him in the hospital. The trauma to Bill Panzone’s brain from the assault was severe, a blood clot formed several days after the injury. The right side of his body was partially paralyzed from the attack. To this day Panzone does not have normal feeling on the right side of his body. He also suffers from severe recurring headaches and horrible neck and spine pain.

Despite his injuries Bill Panzone was determined to recover and pursue the career he wanted all of his life. Within one year of the attack, despite his debilitating injuries and against the advice of many doctors, he returned to work. His doctors told him that his neck and spine were too unstable for him to safely work as a deputy and if he became involved in another violent confrontation, another head injury could be catastrophic. But Bill was undaunted. He was again assigned to 1250 Deck and accepted this post despite his lingering memories of what transpired there only a year before. But all the time Panzone worked in tremendous pain. He did his best to hide the pain he was suffering and his physical limitations from the attack, however. Only his closest friends knew the truth.

After returning to work, Deputy Panzone actually spoke to one of the inmates who attacked him. He wanted to know why the inmates chose him for their assault. The inmate told him that it wasn’t him that they attacked; it was the uniform. Their escape plan was to overpower a deputy and use his keys to escape. It was not a personal attack. They were desperate to escape. Their intention was to take Deputy Panzone hostage, use his keys to gain access to the officer’s area near the windows, and then use the hacksaw blades to cut through the bars covering the external window and escape to freedom. Panzone’s ability to fight back despite the injuries they inflicted against him caught them by surprise.

When the Hall of Justice Jail closed, Panzone was transferred to Central Jail. He worked as a Module Officer and Inmate Mess Hall Officer for another four and a half years and fortunately never became involved in a major fight. He then transferred to his dream job as a patrol deputy at Lakewood Station. He grew up in the station area and always hoped to work there. Bill was able to conceal the extent of his injuries while working at the Hall and CJ, but faced with the rigors of patrol the true state of his health began to manifest. The effects of his head injury caused him unbearable pain and in high stress or life threatening situations, he had trouble recalling details of what took place

In 1982, Bill’s injuries caught up with him and he was compelled to retire. But the ever present pain he feels today is an ever present reminder of that assault on August 29th, 1975.

Far more deputies are permanently disabled than are killed in the line of duty. Just like Bill Panzone, they may be attacked by an inmate or suspect trying desperately to escape arrest or imprisonment. But they are also injured in a host of other ways: chasing suspects through dark backyards, tripping over kids toys while clearing backyards or stepping in potholes while providing traffic control. Others are permanently disabled in traffic collisions while trying desperately to respond to a citizen’s call for help.
Bill Panzone’s wife, Vickie, became a deputy a year before Bill retired. She said that she wasn’t worried about an attack like Bill’s happening to her. She spent a year physically preparing before she started the academy and felt ready to handle the job as a deputy. She knew that as a deputy there are situations that are out of your control, but by being physically and mentally prepared you will survive. Following in the footsteps of their parents, two of Bill and Vickie’s daughters also became LASD deputies and another is a Law Enforcement Technician.
Despite the devastating injuries Bill suffered in August 1975, he was determined to overcome them and return to full duty. His devotion and determination then encouraged his wife to follow him into the profession. He then reared three daughters who, inspired by their father’s courage and their mother’s dedication and service, also chose to enter the law enforcement profession. Bill Panzone is an inspiration and his story tells us much. Never give up in a fight and don’t let any obstacle stop you. You are always being watched. The effect you have on those around you is more profound than you realize. The LASD legacy of the Panzone family is testament to that.
© Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Museum 2015

At the time Deputy Donald Bear graduated in Class 137 from the Sheriff’s Academy in January 1970, he had no idea that in just three years he would become involved in a horrifying shooting.

After working two years in the Hall of Justice Jail, he transferred in February 1972 to Temple Sheriff’s Station. A little more than a year after transferring to Temple Station, Deputy Bear had become familiar with his job and he knew his patrol area.

On March 25, 1973, Deputy Bear was assigned to unit 55B on early morning shift and was responsible for patrolling in South El Monte. That night, James H. Kelly, an 18-year-old police science student at Citrus College, was riding along with him.

As Unit 55B drove through a residential area at 1:35 a.m., Deputy Bear observed four male subjects standing by a car that was parked in front of a house on Parlin Street. Several of the subjects were juveniles, so when Deputy Bear saw beer bottles sitting on top of the car he decided to investigate further. He turned the corner and chose to park behind the car. As the radio car pulled up, two of the juveniles walked away and entered the house.

Deputy Bear and Kelly exited the radio car. Deputy Bear asked the subjects for their identification. But one of subjects walked away and threw a lighted cigarette onto the grass. Deputy Bear thought it looked suspicious. After all, why would someone walk away to throw a cigarette? Deputy Bear retrieved the cigarette, which he identified as marijuana.

Deputy Bear decided that he was going to arrest the person who tossed the lit joint and possibly arrest the others. At that time, possession of marijuana was a felony.

Kelly was related to a lieutenant on the Sheriff’s Department and had been on many ride-alongs, so he was familiar with how to operate the Sheriff’s radio. Deputy Bear knew about Kelly’s experience so he asked him to request a unit backup. In those days, deputies did not have handheld radios. All communication was done over the radio in the patrol car. Kelly went to the radio car and requested a unit backup. As Deputy Bear stood by, all four subjects turned and began walking toward the house. Deputy Bear quickly caught up to 25-year-old James Buffey of Covina and arrested him for possession of marijuana.

Unit 55 arrived to back up unit 55B. In unit 55 was Deputy Richard Filbin and 16-year-old Explorer Robert Hernandez. They exited the car and approached Deputy Bear, who explained the situation.

Gilbert Valdez, one of the juvenile’s parents who lived at that location, exited his home and began berating the deputies in a loud and obnoxious manner. He told the deputies that these were his kids and demanded that the officers get off his property. He also told the deputies that they had no warrant to be on his property. Valdez, with the help of the other boys, grabbed Buffey from Deputy Bear and took him into the house.

Deputy Bear instructed Hernandez to request additional backup because the situation was escalating, He also ordered Hernandez away from the scene, to a position of safety. Hernandez went immediately to the radio car and requested additional units.

As the subjects entered the home, Deputies Bear and Filbin followed. They took Buffey, who was still handcuffed, out onto the porch. As this was occurring, Valdez, who had moved into the open doorway, began hitting both deputies. A struggle ensued between the deputies and three of the subjects.

At that time, deputies wore holsters that were referred to as the Widow Maker because of the poor retention quality of the holster. Many times deputies lost their guns when they were in a fight, chasing after a suspect, or even exiting their radio cars. The gun would simply fall out of the holster. It was also easy for a suspect to remove the deputy’s gun from the holster, which is exactly what occurred in this situation.

During the fight, one of the suspects took Deputy Bear’s revolver from his holster and shot Deputy Filbin in the stomach. Another shot was fired, which took off the tip of Deputy Bear’s right middle finger. The bullet kept traveling, piercing Hernandez’ thigh. Hernandez, in his determination to help the officers, had defied Deputy Bear’s order and was standing on the lawn at the time. Although shot in the leg, Hernandez was able to struggle to the patrol car to broadcast a call for help by yelling into the radio, “998! Officer involved in a shooting!” This radio call was an urgent call for help and deputies responded by rolling as fast as they could, with lights and sirens, to the location.

After the shots were fired, the suspect dropped Deputy Bear’s gun on the porch and all of the suspects ran into the house, slamming the door behind them. Deputy Bear, who didn’t realize that his finger tip had been shot off, picked up his gun and fired several rounds through the front door, hitting three of the suspects.

Deputy Bear noticed that Deputy Filbin was sitting against the wall, moaning. Deputy Filbin was in dire condition so Deputy Bear dragged him off the porch and out to the radio car. Deputy Bear broadcast “999! Officer needs immediate assistance!” This radio call was for urgent help from all Sheriff’s stations and police departments. When a “999” was broadcast, it meant that the deputy was in imminent danger and needed numerous officers to respond as quickly as possible. Patrol cars responded to the call with lights and sirens.

The first assisting deputy arrived and observed Deputy Filbin’s condition. With his adrenaline flowing like never before, the deputy immediately helped Deputy Filbin into the radio car and transported him Code 3 to Garfield Hospital in a desperate attempt to save the deputy’s life.

Numerous other radio cars raced up to the scene and screeched to a halt. They helped Deputy Bear and Hernandez into their radio cars. Turning on their lights and sirens, they pushed their vehicles to their limits to get them help.

During the chaos, two of the suspects escaped out the back of the house and hid in the neighborhood. While the wounded deputies and explorer were being loaded into the radio cars to be transported to the hospital, other deputies surrounded the house. They carefully entered the house with their guns drawn and found the three wounded suspects. All three suspects were handcuffed and transported to the hospital so their gunshot wounds could be treated. When deputies discovered that two other suspects had fled, they contained the area and conducted an intensive search of the neighborhood. Both suspects were located and arrested. After searching the home where the shooting occurred, several grams of marijuana were recovered.

Suspect Gilbert Valdez was treated for a head injury at San Gabriel Community Hospital and booked at Temple Sheriff’s Station for assault with intent to commit murder. Buffey was treated at Arcadia Methodist Hospital for minor injuries and booked at Temple Sheriff’s Station for 217 P.C. (Assault on a Public Official). All suspects were convicted on various charges.

Deputy Filbin was forced to retire after the gunshot wound resulted in limited mobility of his left leg. Deputy Bear lost the tip of his right middle finger. He returned to work and after years of service retired as a homicide Lieutenant in 2003. Explorer Hernandez recovered fully from a through-and-through wound to his upper leg.

On April 13, after Hernandez had recovered from his gunshot wound, he was honored during the graduation ceremonies of Sheriff’s Academy Class # 158 in the Board of Supervisors’ Hearing Room in the Hall of Administration. Sheriff Peter J. Pitchess honored Law Enforcement Explorer Robert Hernandez with the Sheriff’s Department’s Distinguished Certificate for his bravery and heroism.

Sheriff Pitchess also nominated Hernandez for the United States Secret Service’s Law Enforcement Assistance Award. This award recognized Explorers who assisted law enforcement agencies through meaningful and exceptional service. The Secret Service chose Hernandez as that year’s award recipient.

As an award recipient, Hernandez also received an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. from the National Council, Boy Scouts of America. While in Washington, Hernandez met with James J. Rowley, director of the Secret Service. Director Rowley presented Hernandez with a plaque and certificate.

On New Year’s Day of 1974, Deputy Harry Hansen, assigned to Community Relations Bureau, picked up Explorer Hernandez at his home, in a new Chrysler Imperial with emergency lights in the front grill. Dressed in a business suit, Deputy Hansen’s assignment was to transport Hernandez to the Rose Bowl where the explorer would be the guest of President Richard Nixon. When they arrived at the Rose Bowl, they were given parking up front. They were escorted to the player’s breakfast, which was for the football players who were playing in the game that day. After that, the Secret Service escorted them to their prime seats on the 50-yard line. They sat just a few seats down from President Nixon. When they arrived at their seats, President Nixon greeted them and said some kind words to Hernandez for his heroic deed. Deputy Hansen watched Hernandez as the President spoke to him. Hernandez was quiet and shy and didn’t talk very much. He seemed overwhelmed by everything that had happened. Hernandez was very proud that he had been recognized by the Sheriff of Los Angeles County and by the President of the United States. It was such an honor for him.

Robert Hernandez chose another career and did not pursue a career in law enforcement.

Lighting the First Flame

From 1850, when Los Angeles County was first formed, until the beginning of 1970, less than 300 law enforcement officers from agencies throughout the county had been killed in the line of duty. In the early 1970’s, there was a dramatic increase of the number of officers killed. In just a five year period between 1970 and early 1975, 12 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies were killed in the line of duty. During one traffic stop in 1970, four CHP Officers were all killed by just two suspects.

Near the end of April of 1975, Sergeant Lee Stahl, assigned to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Training Bureau, wanted the public to be aware of the brave deputies who sacrificed their lives protecting the public. Borrowing an idea from the Olympic Torch Run, his idea was to conduct a relay torch run from one sheriff’s station to another. This would be the perfect way to make the public aware of the heroic deputies who died in the line of duty for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The plan was for runners to travel between each sheriff’s station to the other until all 16 stations were visited. This involved all stations except for Avalon on Catalina Island.

Sergeant Stahl submitted a memo suggesting the idea to Captain Richard Foreman of Training Bureau. Captain Foreman thought it was a great idea. After a discussion with Sergeant Stahl, it was decided that since the next memorial service was just two weeks away there was not enough time to plan the run for 1975. If they waited until the following year, they would have twelve months to plan the event. The memo was forwarded from Captain Foreman through channels to Sheriff Peter Pitchess. The Sheriff also thought this was a wonderful idea. In fact, he was so enthused about the idea, he insisted that the first Torch Run be hastily organized and take place before the ceremony only two weeks later.

Because there was such a short time to plan the event, the entire run was conducted by members of the Training Bureau staff. There were 24 runners who traversed the 291 miles. Some of the original runners from the Training Bureau included Captain Richard Foreman, Lieutenant John Kolman, Sergeants Lee Stahl and Pat Connolly as well as Deputies Ray Baytos, Ed Hitchcock, Don Swift, , Lynn Vannoy, Julie Cabe and Rudy Lovio.

The first Memorial Torch Run began on May 13th, 1975 and took place over 3 days. Each runner ran 6 miles at a 10 minute pace. The torch that was designed for the run was very heavy. Because of its weight, runners had to constantly change the torch from one hand to another.

Prior to the first Memorial Torch Relay Run, a teletype was sent to all law enforcement agencies whose jurisdiction the Memorial Torch Run would be passing through. The Los Angeles Police Department was very helpful and provided traffic control when the Torch Run passed through their city.

The first Memorial Torch Run began at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. Runners proceeded from station to station until all 16 Stations, excluding Avalon, were visited. Although only one runner ran at a time, runners from a station area would join the Training Bureau runner as they passed through that area. In many cities contracting police services with the Sheriff’s Department, the Mayor and city officials declared the run a significant city event and were on hand to cheer on the torch bearer as they passed through their town.

A motor home was donated for the run and was used by runners to rest before they began the next leg of the run. On rough or steep terrain, some of the stronger runners ran longer or ran more than one leg of the relay. The runners were also able to make quick stops at some of the sheriff’s stations in order to take showers. Academy recruits were used to drive the pace cars.

Two years prior to the run, Detective Don Schneider and Detective Sergeant Carl Wilson, assigned to Lakewood Station, were shot and killed when they attempted to apprehend a suspect who murdered two people. The Captain of Lakewood Sheriff’s Station, Ken Cable, wanted to honor the two detectives for their dedication. He worked with the city to plan a special welcome to their station. Prior to the runners arriving at midnight, the street lights along the route were turned off. Bleachers were set up near Lakewood Sheriff’s Station and filled with city employees from the surrounding contract cities, including council members, mayors and their families. As the runners approached Lakewood Station, Deputy Pat Connolly was running with the torch. The run stopped for a short ceremony honoring the deputies killed in the line of duty. The color guard marched into place just before Captain Cable gave a short speech honoring his fallen deputies. Afterwards, Pat Connolly passed the torch to Julie Cabe. The Sheriff’s Helicopter involved in the Skynight Program, which patrolled the City of Lakewood, flew along with its spotlight lighting Julie as she received the torch and left Lakewood Station. Everyone cheered for the runners. It was a spectacular sight! The runners continued on traveling from station to station until they completed the run at 10 AM on the third day.

The Los Angeles County Peace Officer’s Memorial Service took place at Biscailuz Center at 10 AM on May 15, the third day of the run. During the Memorial Service, Sergeant Lee Stahl ran up the hill with the torch and handed it off to Sheriff Pitchess. This was a perfect ending to the first Memorial Torch Run for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to honor all of the deputies who gave their lives while protecting the citizens of Los Angeles County.

This first Memorial Torch Run established a long tradition. The run has started each year at Sheriff’s Headquarters. Sheriff’s Headquarters was located at the Hall of Justice until it closed in January 1994 and was moved to Sherman Block Sheriff’s Headquarters in Monterey Park.

Through the years, changes have been made to the route and times of the Memorial Torch Run. When new stations were added, the route and times of the run were changed. Because of a major fire that damaged mountain roads, the route of the run was altered for five years. On occasion, the run was diverted to pass by a location where a deputy was killed. This has been discouraged since it changes the route of the run to the next station and also effects torch handoff times for all of the stations that follow.

Today, the Memorial Torch Relay is coordinated by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Athletic Association and consists of 56 legs, each five to ten miles long, and travels to each mainland Sheriff’s Station in a circuit totaling 313 miles. During the same weekend, Avalon Regional Sheriff’s Station conducts a Torch Relay Run in the City of Avalon on Catalina Island. The Memorial Torch Run has now expanded with numerous runners running at a time. Each station provides runners for their leg of the run. Many of them run with their station flag displaying their station logo. All department members, sworn and professional staff, all other police agencies, as well as family members and friends are invited to participate in any leg of the relay.

The Annual Memorial Torch Relay and its participants proudly honor the memory of those brave and dedicated individuals who have sacrificed their lives in the performance of their duties in service to the citizens of Los Angeles County.

Copyrighted by “The Los Angeles Sheriffs’ Museum”