By Ivan Villegas
LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Police Officer Alejandro Castillo was found guilty Tuesday of perjury and filing a false police report in a 2019 driving under the influence investigation and at his May sentencing faces up to four years and eight months in state prison.
“We cannot have the people we entrusted to take away a person’s liberty lying in their official capacity,” said Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón in a news release.
On October 18, 2019, Castillo stopped a man in the Hollywood area for allegedly making an unsafe left turn.
According to the DA news release, “[t]he driver was given a sobriety test and arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence. Castillo filed a police report, claiming the driver made an unsafe left turn in front of oncoming traffic that nearly caused an accident.”
However, according to the news release, “[b]ody-worn camera video showed the driver waited for all vehicles to pass before making a left turn.”
“A jury deliberated for two hours before finding Castillo… guilty of one felony count each of filing a false report and perjury,” stated the DA Office.
District Attorney Gascón added that “[w]hen an officer lies in the course of their investigation it can have devastating consequences including wrongful incarceration and sometimes wrongful convictions[.]”
He added, “I am pleased that the jury saw the injustice in this case and the officer will be held accountable for his actions.”
