LAPD reviewing retired officer’s cases after he yells N-word in video
'As a former employee, he is no longer subject to disciplinary action by the department.'
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation after a former detective was filmed calling a Black man the N-word following a traffic incident.
The confrontation reportedly went down in Valencia, California after a fender bender, TMZ reports. The footage shows former LAPD homicide detective John Motto arguing with an unidentified motorist by the side of the road. In the clip, Motto is heard calling the other driver the N-word and telling him “Go back into your little cage until the monkey controller gets here.”
Motto tells the person filming the scene that the other driver used the N-word first, which made it OK for him to hurl the word right back at him. When the Black man asks the bystanders if they heard Motto call him the N-word, Motto claps back with, “No, he started the n****r thing because he is the dumb n****r.”
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The LAPD responded to the clip, which has been widely shared online, confirming that Motto retired in May 2020 as a detective with the Operations Central Bureau Homicide, according to the report. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon called the video “disturbing” and agrees that Motto was “exhibiting racist tendencies.”
Gascon said the DA’s office is “taking immediate action” and will be reviewing 370 cases handled by Motto to determine if any were affected by racial bias.
“We are in the process of notifying defense attorneys in such cases,” he said.
In a statement, the LAPD said:
“It has come to the Department’s attention that there is a video posted on social media of a retired LAPD detective. The individual in the video uses a racial slur while engaged in an argument.
“The individual is not a current member of the LAPD and retired in May 2020 as a detective assigned to Operations Central Bureau Homicide. To ensure there is no current Department nexus to this incident, there has been an internal investigation started
“What is seen in the video is not reflective of the thousands of hard working and dedicated men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department.
“The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office has announced they will be reviewing 370 cases handled by the retired LAPD detective. The Department has pledged full cooperation with the process.”
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The LAPD noted that no disciplinary action can be taken, but they will assist the DA’s office in reviewing Motto’s cases.
“As a former employee, he is no longer subject to disciplinary action by the department,” said Officer Drake Madison with the LAPD Media Relations Division. “The LAPD has no disciplinary authority over his conduct.”
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