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1 58. Despite this, Chief Valentin retained purported "independent" "investigators" (the OIR <br /> 2 <br /> Group)who conducted an almost-year-long assessment based,not only on the false lack-of-prompt-notice <br /> 3 <br /> 4 premise, but, pursuant thereto - admittedly- interviewed only MET personnel. <br /> 5 59. Thus, not surprisingly, the OIR Report which - despite the fact that Chief Valentin and <br /> 6 Assistant Chief Rodriguez,various members of the command staff and numerous officers were indisputably <br /> 7 <br /> aware of the incident in August of 2020 - essentially opined "gee, it would be nice if your officers had <br /> 8 <br /> 9 promptly reported bad stuff up the chain." <br /> 10 60. On April 5, 2023, in another released video, Chief Valentin then weaponized the <br /> 11 "assessment"to falsely imply the absence of any wrongdoing <br /> 12 <br /> 61. Many at CITY's police department-who were informed and believed that some independent <br /> 13 <br /> 14 entity must have been(during the past years) investigating CITY's cover-up of allegations against its own <br /> 15 officer of a sexual assault against a minor of which numerous supervisors were indisputably aware-were <br /> 16 shocked by the conclusions of the OIR Report. <br /> 17 <br /> 62. On May 24, 2023, Commander Moreno (one of those shocked by the report) made his <br /> 18 <br /> 19 complaint of "misconduct of a serious nature"which detailed reports to him and his reporting to others and <br /> 20 which states, in part: <br /> 21 "Up until the Office of Independent Review published the Assessment, I believed that SAPD's <br /> 22 Internal Affairs Investigation would account and accurately explain the seven-month gap from when <br /> misconduct was reported(August 2020)to DC Rodriguez to when SAPD received the anonymous <br /> 23 complaint(—March 2021). <br /> 24 <br /> It is my belief that if the Office of Independent Review,was made aware that Commander Alvarez <br /> 25 and I had indeed followed SAPD policy/procedure, with regards to the reporting of officer <br /> 26 misconduct, they would not have made some of the assertions and recommendations they did. <br /> Additionally, had an Internal Affairs Investigation been initiated in August of 2020 instead of 7 <br /> 27 months later, our Internal Affairs Unit would have had the ability to conduct a more thorough and <br /> accurate investigation. This 7-month delay impeded and interfered with the alleged sexual assault <br /> 28 and Internal Affairs investigation." <br /> MENENDEZ V. CITY OF SANTA ANA CASENO. <br /> COMPLAINT <br />