POST delays final decision on former LAPD detective accused of buying illegal silencer, sends case back for more investigation

The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training on Sept. 10 reviewed the Division’s findings that former Los Angeles Police Department detective Luke Baxter Walden attempted to obtain an illegal firearm silencer and made false statements during the internal investigation into that purchase.

The commission heard a presentation from William M. Bowden, a professional conduct law enforcement consultant, and Simone Renteria, an attorney with POST’s Legal Affairs Bureau, who summarized the Division’s investigative findings: customs seized a device addressed to Walden that a LAPD criminalist described as having the design elements of a firearm suppressor; a PayPal payment from Walden’s account matched the purchase; Internet-audit results showed searches consistent with silencers; and LAPD sustained an improper-possession finding and referred him to a Board of Rights, which found guilt but imposed a 30-day suspension rather than termination. ‘‘Clear and convincing evidence exists to show respondent purposely…