they'd ask. Former Robbery-Homicide Det. 17. Fred Miller wakens grumbling, as usual. I never found anything wrong with any of his investigations.". Wallace family lawyer Perry Sanders Jr. is arguing that LAPD officers moonlighting for Death Row Records lawyer were involved in the killing of the 24-year-old Brooklyn rap superstar. It is directed by Brad Furman and is based on the non-fiction book LAbyrinth written by journalist Randall Sullivan. Poole found that at least four lawsuits were pending against Rampart officers. His creativity was cashed in on by L.A.-based rap label Death Row Records, owned by the infamous Suge Knight. Poole has a box of documents to back up his story, but the credibility of his allegations against Parks and the LAPD's brass comes down to his reputation. In fact, he'd explained to Lait and Glover that the LAPD wasn't looking for Muhammed/Billups -- not because he'd been cleared, but because of his ties to a cop, David Mack. In 1997, Poole and his partner, Fred Miller, had been tapped to investigate a Studio City killing involving one police offer, an undercover cop, killing another cop, Officer Kevin Gaines, in what at first . A research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, McNamara is author of the forthcoming book "Gangster Cops: The Hidden Cost of America's War on Drugs." However, he soon left his job, finding the system too hypocritical to celebrate worthy men like Poole. Poole found three prominent shreds of evidence at his house, GECOs 9mm bullets (shots fired at Wallace), spare walkie-talkie (that helped to coordinate Wallaces murder), and Chevy Impala S.S. in the garage. There were other disturbing signs of corruption: Gang members told Poole they were constantly being pressured by Rampart cops to provide them with clean -- untraceable -- guns. Then Perez turned state's evidence before his second trial in September 1999, and Poole watched as the LAPD's pattern of protecting bad cops became a national embarrassment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); COPYRIGHT Digital Mafia Talkies | DMT. "The issues and circumstances have to do with how some investigations I was involved in were handled," he wrote in his resignation letter, dated Oct. 25, 1999. While many deny the statements disclosed by Sullivan and Poole in the book, director Brad Furman found a story in Pooles controversial plight. He didn't mince any words: "Chief, it's more than just this case. He predicts that the department will try to undermine his credibility and even smear his reputation. But the D.A. They could have gotten him on 25-to-life. Mack was arrested in December 1997 for the armed robbery of $722,000 from a Bank of America on Jefferson Boulevard. Temple University Police Department I wanted to do a financial investigation on Gaines. In addition, former LAPD detective Fred Miller, lead investigator on the Wallace case, said the burly cigar cigar-smoking Knight had confessed to a cellmate, reportedly saying, My people took care of it.In a May 2000 Source magazine interview this reporter did with Knight inside Mule Creek State Prison, he denied being involved, joking that hed actually wanted to sign Biggie. And the shocking revelations keep coming. The Los Angeles Police detective who headed the investigation into the murder of Notorious B.I.G. Parks has fired more than 100 officers since he became chief, most for offenses unrelated to Rampart. One of the biggest crimes Poole says he was prevented from adequately investigating, for fear the trail would lead to a cop, was the murder of Notorious B.I.G. At the Parker Center meeting, Poole explained the details of the beating case to the chief and other assembled brass. Poole is the only Rampart investigator to go public with his account of how the LAPD handled the probe. Rolled up on his ass and smoked his fat ass. She ordered them to brief her on their findings Monday. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Hidden illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, Best coffee city in the world? doesn't have enough to go after him because they used compelled statements. (They all refused to comment for this story.) Gaines pulled off a gun on Frank and threatened to shoot him when Frank shot him first in self-defense. I interviewed and taped people and put together a solid criminal case, with everything documented. But when he tried to limit his focus to the Jimenez case, he found he couldn't. 1 suspect, but found nothing to tie Mack to the killing. Share to Twitter. He threatened to sue the Wallace family for malicious prosecution if he was named in the suit.Jonathan Diamond, a spokesman for Los Angeles City Attorney. ", The evaluations in his file are filled with glowing praise: "courteous," "professional," "a definite asset to the department," "sincerely cares," "sympathetic and extraordinary in dealing with victims," "excellent interviewer and interrogator," "hard working," "loyal, productive, thorough and reliable," "first rate," "diligent," "goes that extra mile," "exemplary dedication to duty," "compassionate." Officers Brian Hewitt and Daniel Lujan Jr. of the Rampart station had picked up a local man named Ismael Jimenez, who was reputed to be a gang member, and brought him to Rampart headquarters without apparent cause. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. Not surprisingly, given the dearth of evidence in the two-page report, the district attorney's office declined to press criminal charges against officers Hewitt, Lujan and Cohan. Rafael Perez, the central figure in the Rampart scandal, was once Macks LAPD partner. But Wallace family lawyer Perry Sanders did not produce the photograph in court, nor did he explain how it might illuminate Wallaces murder. They'd dig into your personal life and rumors would get spread around that you were a lying scum. Parks once ran the LAPD's Internal Affairs Division, so he knows the drill well. No one. He and his partner eventually pursued over 250 leads in the case, some of which involved Mack. In the end, Jackson told Poole about LAPD investigating Macks Impala according to his theory. He was the best -- from dealing with victims to handling witnesses to following up leads. 's office, Perez acknowledged partying with Mack in Vegas after the robbery, but says he didn't know about his friend's crime.). I read people their rights. Russ was my partner for many years, then became my D3 Supervisor at Hwd Detectives Homicide Unit. And much of Millers description of his investigation came during cross-examination, in which City Attorney Don Vincent got him to acknowledge that he never found any evidence linking Mack to the crime.Under direct questioning from Wallace family attorney Robert Frank, Miller related his surprise after interviewing Mario Hammond, a cellmate of Knight at a San Luis Obispo prison.I was rather shocked at what he told me, Miller said. Instead, Poole charges, the chief made him suppress the evidence of corruption he had uncovered -- a pattern of protecting bad cops that the respected veteran detective says was common practice under Parks, despite his pledge to clean up the department. Time and time again they do that and let some of the worst bastards get away. Fred Miller, the lead investigator, told jurors that investigators pegged Knight as the No. Everybody in the room fell silent, Poole vividly recalls. Fred Cueto had been with the Los Angeles Police Department . I left because the department literally wanted me to lie and keep things from the D.A. However, the media saw it as another act of a Racist Cop. Poole knew that keeping information out of a criminal report could constitute a crime, obstruction of justice. His creativity was cashed in on by L.A.-based rap label Death Row Records, owned by the infamous Suge Knight. He joined the LAPD in 1981 and became a detective trainee three years later. If I were caught doing that, I'd go to prison for obstruction of justice.". They thus should be perceived as a characters viewpoint rather than factual truth. Now, a year after his resignation, Poole is going public with his charges. Directed by Brad Furman, City of Lies is based on Randall Sullivan's 2002 book Labyrinth. Both Mack and Muhammad were dropped from the case this month and have repeatedly denied involvement.Copyright 2005 Associated Press. Jurors hearing the Notorious B.I.G. The son of a 27-year L.A. County sheriff, Poole never wanted to do anything but be a cop. Biggie was shot from GECOs 9mm bullets by a man sitting inside a black sedan, probably, Chevy Impala S.S. "The D.A. The chief reason is the lack of political accountability ", According to retired LAPD Deputy Chief Steve Downing, "The corruption of Rampart would have been uncovered and brought to an end at least a year earlier if the natural leads in the cases of Gaines, Mack and Perez had been followed. In memoriam. They can't sift through dozens of interviews and put everything into context. Or There Was Another Conspiracy Behind It? The city of L.A. reopened the case that gave the power to withheld the evidence that suggested their involvement in the felony. "Both Williams and Parks missed the boat. I have been working in the Indian Film Industry for the past 8 years, majorly writing dialogues for various films and television shows. does not file charges against officers because the department doesn't give them all the information," Poole says. However, a. But she also won't be able to comment. Was Park Soon-Jas Death A Case Of Mass Suicide? Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Yet by allowing Perez to trade information for immunity, the LAPD and D.A. . He died after that. "They should have run a sting operation after they got him," says McNamara. "They [the LAPD] were happy the D.A. Earlier in the film, Pooles partner, Detective Fred Miller, informed Jackson that during his time in prison, David Mack got only one visitor, Amir Muhammed. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. HayBeeSee. Poole claimed that Suge Knight, head of Death Row Records, was a gang member who played by street rules. However, according to Poole, Rampart was a diversion to hide the sins of LAPD and its association with Death Row or involvement in Wallaces murder. Every day, the members of the LAPD put their lives on the line. TV Shows. Is He Dead Or Alive? Worse yet, he watched as Parks took credit for "exposing" the Rampart mess -- a scandal that in fact might never have been revealed if Perez had simply kept his mouth shut and done his time. * Led all streams of work technical and . Iratta Ending, Explained: What Happens To Vinod? ", Robleto says he reviewed hundreds of murder investigations at South Bureau Homicide, dozens of which were handled by Poole. Coached and developed a multinational staff supporting strategic planning . "He said, 'We can't hand this in. Some of these complaints, which involved some of the same officers, had languished or not been properly investigated. Poole began to feel that his clashes with his superiors were hurting his career. Who knows? Like Pac, he was one of the best rappers in the business. Valor. Despite strong evidence that Lyga was acting in self-defense, the Cochran suit alleged that Lyga was "an aggressive and dangerous police officer" and implied there was a racial motivation to the shooting. Fred Miller See Photos Historian/Researcher at U.S. Army Corps Engineers Lives in St. Louis Fred Miller See Photos Works at factory worker Lives in Georgetown, Texas Fred Miller See Photos Fred Miller See Photos Works at Retired/Disabled Lives in San Francisco, California Fred Miller See Photos Fred Miller See Photos Fred Miller (fred miller) George Castello, who also worked on murder cases with Poole, concurs. Washington State Department of Corrections. A mistrial was declared in the case by U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper on Thursday (July 7), after it was revealed that an LAPD detective withheld documents. But then my own chief suppressed it.". After months of waiting for law enforcement officials to act, Poole's busy talking to his legal team and the media.