LOS ANGELES – Sheriff Alex Villanueva responded Tuesday to the latest whistleblower case brought against him as well as Los Angeles County, calling a sheriff’s lieutenant’s allegation Villanueva quashed an investigation into a police dog’s death part of “yet another frivolous lawsuit.”
Lt. Joseph Garrido’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was filed Monday and alleges whistleblower retaliation, civil rights violations, violation of the state Civil Code, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, false light and defamation.
Garrido seeks at least $5 million in general damages and another $5 million in special damages.
In a response with a caption, “Advisory: Yet Another Frivolous Lawsuit,” Villanueva downplayed Garrido’s case.
“Several months after a criminal and administrative investigation began regarding alleged misconduct by Joseph Garrido, he has filed a lawsuit and claimed whistleblower status,” Villanueva said. ” Absent from this lawsuit is any explanation as to why Mr. Garrido supposedly witnessed misconduct, yet took no action for years until after he was under investigation.”
Garrido worked in the Special Enforcement Bureau and oversaw the Canine Services and Special Enforcement details. His lawsuit states that he supported and donated money to the campaign of one of Villanueva’s rivals, retired sheriff’s department veteran Eli Vera, in the June primary; spoke out against the denial of explosive breacher pay to some deputies, forcing the department...
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