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Board recommends decertification or stays in multiple officer cases; several motions pass after lengthy hearings
Summary
At its Jan. 16 meeting the advisory board reviewed multiple POST cases from Los Angeles-area agencies. The board voted to recommend revocation or stayed revocation in several matters after hearing staff presentations, testimony and public comment.
The Peace Officers Standing Accountability Advisory Board considered four substantive certification matters and one decison to request additional investigation at the Jan. 16 hearing. After evidence summaries from the Division and public comment, the board voted on each case; the following summarizes motions, who moved them when recorded, and the recorded vote tallies as reflected in the hearing transcript.
Votes at a glance
- Post case 240-0920, Tommy Thompson (then-LAPD): Following a Division presentation that alleged two on‑duty DUI arrests in March 2023 and supporting evidence, a motion by Board Member Doyle to recommend revocation of Thompson's POST certificate carried. Final record: motion carried (7 yeses, 1 abstention). The Division had recommended revocation based on repeated on-duty impaired driving and the Division’s view that the conduct was inconsistent with a homicide detective's duties.
- Post case 230-2971, Sgt. Gabriel Gaxiola (LAPD): After an extended discussion about two DUI-related arrests (2016 and May 2022), the board considered a proposal for a stayed revocation tied to a stipulated rehabilitation agreement. The board ultimately approved a motion for a revocation stayed as part of a stipulated settlement with conditions described in the motion; the motion passed 6–1. The Division had recommended revocation, citing repeated serious violations while employed as a sergeant and a high measured BAC in the 2022 incident.
- Post case 230-5109, Joshua Satterfield (Torrance PD): The Division presented a bias case based on multiple messages transmitted on a department WhatsApp group that included racist or demeaning language. After public comment and argument from counsel, the board voted unanimously to recommend revocation of Satterfield’s POST certification (roll call recorded as unanimous). The Division’s recommendation cited text messages that it concluded would lead a reasonable person to doubt the officer’s ability to act fairly and impartially.
- Post case 230-5781, Blake Williams (Torrance PD): The Division presented administrative findings tied to multiple discriminatory messages collected from WhatsApp group threads tied to Torrance officers. One board member recused; the board voted on a motion (described in the transcript as a motion "to certify") and the motion passed (7 yeses; 1 recusal recorded). The Division had recommended revocation.
- Post case 230-9558, Braulio Robledo (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department): The Division alleged dishonesty in Robledo's statements to supervisors and to IAB about a Jan. 2, 2020 traffic stop and a citizen complaint alleging theft of poker chips. After deliberation and a recommendation process, the board voted to recommend revocation; the motion carried by recorded vote (7 yeses, 1 no). The Division's finding was grounded on multiple pieces of documentary evidence (MDC unit-history records, GPS data and surveillance video) and the Division's conclusion that Robledo gave inconsistent testimony to supervisors and investigators.
How the board handled deliberations and next steps: For one matter (the Robledo case) the board earlier also voted to request additional investigation before a final recommendation, and the transcript records a separate motion directing the Division to obtain further information on specific points. In other matters, the board either recommended revocation or recommended a revocation stayed conditioned on a settlement (the Gaxiola case). Each recommendation will be forwarded to the Commission for final action. The board's votes are advisory; the Commission may adopt, modify, or reject the board's recommendations.
Context and why it matters: The board's decisions apply new POST standards set by the Commission (including application of the serious-misconduct standard in Penal Code §13510.8 and regulation 1205) to repeated criminal conduct, dishonesty, and communications that the Division says demonstrate bias. Several decisions were contested in public comment and by counsel, who raised legal issues about evidentiary scope and the force of internal employer settlements.
What’s next: Each recommendation will be forwarded to the Commission for consideration. The Division and staff will supply records and, where the board requested follow‑up, further investigation results for Commission review.
