Hawthorne's Civil Service Commission will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. tonight to finalize its decision to uphold disciplinary actions against two police officers who it believes excessively beat a suspect during a 2006 arrest.
The commission's decision was covered in a Saturday article: Changed votes in Hawthorne police abuse case cause stir.
Tonight's meeting is private except for a public comment section at the start of the meeting. Members of the Hawthorne Police Officers Association are planning to tell the commission they are upset that two of its members changed their votes against one officer. The officers' attorney Corey Glave has already said he plans to take the case to Los Angeles Superior Court.
The commission voted on April 20 to overturn the discipline imposed by police Chief Michael Heffner on officer Tony Robles, but not to alter the punishment against officer Rex Vian. Then, when the commission met on Wednesday to finalize that vote with a legal resolution, two members changed their positions to also uphold Heffner's decision to suspend without pay Robles and Vian for 30 days. The two officers initiated the hearings about a year and a half ago when they appealed Heffner's punishments.
The commission is scheduled to vote on a new legal resolution tonight, in council chambers at City Hall, 4455 W. 126th St., supporting the discipline against both officers.
Vian and Robles arrested Omar Hill Jr. after he led police on a dangerous vehicle pursuit when they responded to a motel where he had allegedly beaten his common-law wife on April 30, 2006. A video of the arrest shows Vian grappling with Hill to handcuff him, and then Robles kicking Hill in the head and torso while the suspect was on the ground.
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