Karin White

Even so, White claims, the department "has repeatedly attempted to terminate her employment based upon alleged issues having nothing to do with either her performance, or ability to perform, her duties as a police officer."

Her release from duty in August was the department's fifth attempt to fire her, according to the claim.

White declined to answer questions Wednesday and referred calls to her lawyer, Richard Love, who did not return calls seeking comment.

Claims such as White's are frequently "precursors to a lawsuit," said City Attorney Michele Bagneris.

As with any city employee, particularly police officers who are afforded special protection under state law, City Hall did its due diligence before releasing
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White, Bagneris said.

White, 43, spent much of last year on medical leave after "being shot in the face while preventing her son from committing suicide with a handgun," according to her claim.

Strange circumstances surrounded the June 2006 shooting incident at White's Compton home.

Initially reported as a suicide attempt by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the injury left White unable to speak to investigators for nearly a month. When she recovered enough to be interviewed, White said her injury came while wresting her service handgun away from her adult son.

She now claims the Police Department defamed her by suggesting she "had lied to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and/or the Department" about the nature of her injury.

Soon after the shooting, police Chief Bernard Melekian called the shooting a "family tragedy."

"There is no immunity for police officers when it comes to the same family problems and traumas which we are sometimes called upon to resolve," he said in a July 2006 statement.

Melekian, currently Pasadena's acting city manager, confirmed White's recent termination but declined to comment Wednesday, citing potential litigation.

In 2004, White was fired after 25 wiretap recordings of White and her son's father, Anthony Williams, by the Drug Enforcement Agency and other agencies were used in an internal investigation that led to her dismissal.

She sued and was reinstated after a jury ruled the evidence was illegally used. White's claims of discrimination and harassment because of her disability were dismissed.

A jury awarded White $1 million in April of last year. State law tripled that to $3 million.

This past June, a judge ordered a new trial, unless White agreed to accept a reduced award of $150,000, according Bagneris.

Appeals from both sides are now wending their way through the system.

"It won't be until the end of the year before there's any results," Bagneris said.

A series of unfortunate incidents punctuating White's 11 years with the department are detailed in the claim.

Her knee was injured while subduing a suspect in 1998. A year later, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In 2000, her wrist was broken and knees injured when a car collided with her patrol car.

Her current claim seeks unspecified damages for economic losses exceeding $595,000, emotional distress and loss of reputation.

todd.ruiz@sgvn.com
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4444
www.insidesocal.com/pasadenapolitics