The Torrence Police Department in Los Angeles, California, is reviewing hundreds of old cases involving two officers who have since been fired and charged for allegedly spray-painting a swastika on an impounded car and other officers involved in sending racist and antisemitic messages.
The two officers, identified as 29-year-old Christopher Tomsic and 28-year-old Cody Wedlin have been charged with a felony count of vandalism and conspiracy to commit vandalism, though they have both pleaded not guilty, and will have their preliminary hearing on October 4, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Both Tomsic and Wedlin were identified as having been involved with an incident on January 27, 2020, where they took a car believed to have been involved in a crime. When its owner came to get it, he found the car vandalized with a happy face on the front passenger seat and a swastika on the rear seat.
“Immediately upon learning of the reprehensible allegations in 2020, the Torrance Police Department opened a criminal investigation and the officers were put on leave,” said Torrance police Sgt. Mark Ponegalek.
At a press conference, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón noted that 13 other Torrance officers had been fired as well, having been involved in "exchanging racist, discriminatory, homophobic and antisemitic messages," CNN reported
Now, hundreds of cases are being investigated to make sure no other cases of misconduct by these officers ever occurred.
"We have seen an increase in hate crimes, not only in our own home town but around the country. And it's unacceptable," Gascón said, according to CNN. "But it becomes doubly unacceptable when we have the people that are sworn to protect all of us who engage in this behavior."