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POST revokes certification of Torrance officer Blake Williams over racist, antisemitic and homophobic WhatsApp messages
Summary
The POST commission unanimously adopted an advisory board recommendation on March 6, 2025, to revoke the certification of former Torrance officer Blake Williams after investigators presented six WhatsApp messages they said demonstrated bias toward protected groups.
The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training voted on March 6, 2025, to adopt the advisory board's recommendation to revoke the POST certification of Blake Williams, formerly of the Torrance Police Department.
Laura Lynn Kong, a law enforcement consultant with the Los Angeles Professional Conduct Bureau, told the commission the division found reasonable grounds to conclude Williams sent or received six WhatsApp messages between July 2018 and September 2019 that expressed prejudice toward race, religion and sexual orientation in violation of California Penal Code section 13510.8(b)(5) and POST Regulation 12.05(a)(5). Kong said the messages included an image in blackface, a photograph referring to lynching, antisemitic imagery and homophobic slurs; she said the division found those communications would lead a reasonable person to conclude Williams could not fairly and impartially perform his duties.
Williams was terminated by Torrance on March 15, 2023, according to the division's summary. Counsel for Williams, Corey Glaive, addressed the commission by phone and argued many of the messages were off-duty jokes among colleagues, that the conduct occurred before the current regulations were drafted, and raised concerns about selective enforcement and discovery. The division's attorney, Brian Henley, replied that the statute and POST regulations allow review of preexisting conduct once discovered after SB 2 took effect and that words alone can meet the statutory standard if they would lead a reasonable person to conclude bias existed.
Public commenters urged revocation. Tasha Williamson submitted a community-impact statement and said reversing the board’s recommendation would be "a betrayal of this process." Yousef Miller of the North County Equity and Justice Coalition described the messages as "disturbing and disgusting" and called for hypervigilance in identifying biased officers.
Commissioners who spoke described the messages as deeply offensive and inconsistent with the profession; several apologized to communities harmed. The commission then voted to adopt the advisory board's recommendation. The clerk recorded a unanimous vote in favor; the motion passed. The division noted that one advisory-board member had recused herself from the board voting on Williams.
