Episode 3

In this episode Luis talk about the night he was arrested for attempted murder and we speak more about the LAPD's Rampart scandal

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
I began to be like, youknow what, this is it, And
everybody around me is telling me,hey, you're gonna lose, You're gonna
go to prison, you're gonna bea life and this, and so everybody's
telling me that everybody's seeing it,like, you know, don't even just
know that you're not gonna go home, you know. And I'm being man
like you, big man like me. I got too much online and completed.

(00:33):
So you know, they're yelling atme. They're yelling at me and
uh, telling me to get downand and I'm just I'm just saying,
then calm down, you know.And they just rushed me. And soon
as they're running towards me, Igrabbed the fence because the fence is right
there to these little tennis courts,so I grabbed the face and I hold

(00:54):
on to it so I don't fall, and you know, crack my head
open. And when I'm grabbing thefans they're just they're just hitting me.
They're just eating me, uh,punching me and then hitting my hand,
trying to pull me off to thefans, trying to slam me on the
ground, and I'm just telling themto calm down. They finally gave me

(01:14):
off, gave me off of myhand off the fence and slam on the
ground, and they they end upcovering me and they end up a hog
tying me. They tie my legsto my hands. They picked me up
and they throw me in the backof the squad car. So while I'm
in the back of the squad car, I could see the officers approach my
car. Then they go to theto the passenger side and they grab Hector

(01:40):
and they rip him through the windowlike they grabbed them, and they just
grabbed them and pull them out tothe window. Then they slammed them up
against the floor and and he's upagainst the fence right there. And then
then I just see them all thatbig hole pologies pile on them, just
punching, kicking, you know,And I see I see the crowd kind

(02:01):
of open up a little bit,and then I see these other two officers
come start walking towards towards me,and they get into the car. And
when they get into the car,they take me up the street, which
which wasn't wasn't very far. Itwas on a third right there, third
in women street. They take meright up there and as soon as I

(02:23):
get there, I see I seethe ambulance. I see that the door
they're closed. I see you.I see one officer standing outside. You
know the tops they pull over,they come around, they open up the
door. They come me to getout, and like I said, I'm
hog tight, so I kind ofI kind of have to. I'm like

(02:45):
hunched over. And I managed toget out and I was able to stand
up, but I'm hunched over.So I have to take some hops right
because I can't. I can't standup all the way. I can't.
I can't walk, so I haveto take some off. So I take
two little hots. I hear theofficer, you're out. It's too late.

(03:06):
Gave him out of here, andright away they tell me get back
to the car, and I giveright back into the car. Okay,
sorry to cut in like this,but I want to go back over the
rampart scandal and just give a littlebit more context to the type of police
that we're arresting, the least thatnight. Okay, So, in the
late nineties, the LAPD was involvedin the scandal. At the center of
the scandal was this guy named RappaelPerez. So Perez is a former LAPD

(03:30):
officer who was arrested for stealing cocainefrom a police evidence room in nineteen ninety
eight. Press Is arrest opened upa Pandora's box of corruption and police misconduct
that ultimately led to the overturning ofnearly one hundred criminal convictions and millions of
dollars in settlements. So perez Isarrest was just basically the tip of the
iceberg. The investigations that followed theyopened up a web of criminal activity that

(03:51):
involved a number of LAPD officers.Perez himself implicated seventy officers in criminal or
administrative wrongdoing and identified nine one problematiccases involving bad shootings, fabricating evidence,
and all kinds of other forms ofmisconduct. Okay, so let's talk about
some specific things that Prez has beenfound guilty of doing. There's a case
of Xavier or Bando. When Xavierwas nineteen years old, he was a

(04:13):
gang member. He was dealing withPerez president his partner at the time,
Nino Durdan. They corner him,get them alone, and they end up
shooting them and leaving them paralyzed.But they do then as they plant the
gun on him, they hide thegun on him. He gets arrested and
he was sentenced to twenty three yearsin prison based on the officers testimony.
Thankfully, he was later exonerated.But you know, these are these are
the type of cops that police wasdealing with. After that happens. After

(04:36):
after I get back in the car, they take me. They take me
to take me to Rampart station.All right, so the Rampar station is
literally like a block away. Theytook me to the detective station. Back
then we let the Rampar stations whichwas over by Rampart in a bado right

(04:58):
right off a temple, and thenyou had to take the station which was
right there on Union and pretty muchsixty Union right there. Um. So
at that time, they took meto that station and they threw me in
the room and I'm in there,I don't know for how long, and

(05:18):
then they finally come and they getme in and they they take me to
the restaurant. They take the cuffsoff and they do a gunshot residue test
kit on my hands, so theyswabbed my hands and then they put me
back into the into that cell andI'm just I'm handcuffed to the to this

(05:42):
bench. These officers come over.These officers come over and they start asking
me where's the gun? We wantthe gun, and I'm like, I
don't know what you're talking about.You know what you took? What what
are you talking about? And thenwe just want the gun. Then if
somebody finds that gun, if somebodygets heard, that's on you and this
and this and that. And I'mlike, I don't know what's time about,

(06:02):
man, Like I had no clue, you know, I'm telling you
this whole entire time. My thoughtwas somebody came in, because that's what
happens all the time, and allthe time people come in and start shooting.
So in my mind, that's that'sexactly what happened. Um. So
when these guys are asking me aboutit, dun, I'm like, I
don't got a gun. I mean, you got my car, you can

(06:24):
search my car all that. Idon't have a gun. I never had
a gun, you know. Sothey're like all right. Then they walk
away. I'm sitting there for anotherI don't know for how long, and
then like to hear them talking,like to hear them talking, and they're
talking about pretty much what happened,and uh, and they're like, yeah,

(06:45):
we're still looking for the gun.We haven't found the gun. So
after a little while, that's whenthey end up picking me down to the
glasshouse and I get processed, youknow, and I'm there and then finally
and I'm going to court. Andwhen I go to court, and that's
when that's when I kind of findout what's really happening, you know,

(07:05):
because that's when the lawyer tells methey're going to look they're saying they're trying
to do with an attempted murder.You know, it was a Gamer Ladd
shooting and the guys in the hospitaland all this and that, and I'm
just tripping on like what the fuck, you know. And Hector, I
hadn't seen him since since they theygot us, right, And that's how

(07:30):
my salom was when I got outthe car and he was he think Frank
came out of the car and theywere beating him. That's and that's came
up. I seen him. Ididn't see him again until that day we
were in court. We were goingto court because they put us in the
holding tank waiting for the court.So when they put us in the hold
game Tank. He's the first onethey called, you know, they called
his name, and I I'm actuallyget up because I figured, okay,

(07:54):
we're both here together and we're bothare going to go to the court at
the same time. But the officerslike, no, it's just him.
So I go back to sit downand Hector leaves and I'm the very very
last one to get called. Sowe're I'm there all day long, and
you know, I'm wondering, likewhat happened? You know? So finally

(08:16):
it's my turn. And when Igo out to court, the first thing
they're saying is they're talking about murderand we're charging you with murder. I'm
like, what the hell murder?And I'm really like stressed out, thinking
what the hell's going on? Yeahyeah, yeah, Look, I'm telling

(08:45):
man, no trouble. I don'twant to be man. I just want
vibe big man like me, Noneed high I got too much hand online
who won't ruside right away? Thepublic defenders and they hold on, where's
the death certificate? I don't seeno best certificate? You know, how
are you going to charge my clientwith a murder? And the thieves like

(09:05):
whoa it says here murder and thenthe lawyers like, will double check,
so they sent me back into theholding tech and then I come back like
maybe ten for two minutes later,and then the dads like, oh,
let me. I'm gonna we're gonnacharge them with an attempt and murder.
It's not a murder. So youknow, I'm thinking in my head like,

(09:26):
fuck man, it's all bad,Like they're getting me for this,
and I don't even know what thehell happened. All I know is that
there was a shooting, and likeI said, I thought these dudes came
in and shot, so I don'tknow who got shot, you know,
I don't know I don't know wherethey got shot. I don't know murder
that stuff. So in my mind, I'm I'm just like I'm just thinking

(09:48):
like, fuck man, what thehell. But at the same time,
I'm like, well, I haven'tgot nothing, and I know that I'm
gonna say, so you know,they're gonna have to let me out,
you know, And That's what I'mthinking. And so right after that court
date, after the court they takeme downstairs to the tank, to the
old tank, and that's what Ishe had to and actors like what happened,

(10:15):
and I was like, well,they they arrayed me. They got
me for attempt and murder. AndI asked them, what happened to you?
Where did you go? And yougot I came right back here.
They never they just brought me straightback to this tank. And I've been
sitting here this whole time. Inever saw I never saw the judge or
nothing. And then I'm like,you know what, they didn't even mention
you. They didn't say nothing aboutyou. So I'm pretty sure they're gonna

(10:37):
let you go. I'm the onethat's gonna go to go to jail,
you know. They're like, nah, I don't think so that. I
don't think so sure enough, youknow. UH they had told him,
you know, so did reject andhe got released. He got out,
and I stayed ain't And that's whenI went. I went to UH,

(11:00):
I went straight to the county andthat's when I went to the whole processing
and all that. I wasn't madat Hector. I wasn't. I wasn't
looking at him like a fuck thisdude, you know, because I didn't
know what was going on. AllI knew was in my mind like these
moa the fucking cups are fucking usover. That's all. I that's all.

(11:20):
I kind of my head like,you know, and I'm the one.
I'm the one that's going to getthe ship into the stick because that's
what happens, and exactly what happened, man, you know. So I
just I just it's just another anothersituation, you know. And and and
I'm just hoping that all the truthcomes out because I know I'm in it,
sing. I know I didn't doit. You know. I know

(11:41):
that nobody can sit there and say, hey, I saw him shooting him.
Nobody could do that because it wasn'tme. So I still had some
faith. I still I still believedin in pretty much justice, you know,
Like, hey, if I'm manaSing, then I got nothing to
work about. Right. There's aMexican scene that set not a feminine.

(12:05):
So if you don't owe nothing,you don't fear nothing, right, So
you got you you ain't got toworry about it, right because you're innocent,
you so you don't need to stresson it, like the truth is
going to come out. But that'snot the way it works in any county.
And then lots of lots of othercounties. You know, we're guilty

(12:28):
until we are poly innocent beyond thereasonable doubt. That's the way it equals,
not the opposite, not all you'reinnocent to prove guilty be under reasonable
I know we're guilty off the bat, and we have to work hard as
hell to prove our innocence. Andeven though that poo their innocence, they
still get fucked up. In mymind, I'm like, no, I

(12:48):
won't be here long. I won'tbe a long. I'll get out.
I'll get out. I'll be out. So, you know, that's what
I really believe. And you know, the more quurts I went through,
the more quots went to, themore I've seen like there's there's no way.
Man. Like these guys they don'tgive a fuck. They don't care
about the truth. They just wantme to be locked up that ship,

(13:09):
man, that's all they care about. So I started kind of losing the
hope. Started kind of like,man, you know, I had my
lawyer. You know, I feltlike this dude was a straight truck,
like he even give a fuck aboutmy case. Man, And you know,
at the very beginning, he didn'teven want me to do a lineup
and I'm like, what do youmean you want me to do a lineup?

(13:31):
Like, I know the dude's notgonna l because it's not not me.
Like I've never seen me before,I never seen him, So I'm
not worried about none of that.I want to do a lineup and I
want to prove that I'm listening andthe lawyer I don't recommend it listening.
I was like, man, Idon't care what you're saying. Man,
I want to do a lineup becauseI know for a fact that he's not
gonna pull me out. It's notme. So finally, you know,

(13:52):
get the lineup and sure know thatdude does not pull me out. But
I just felt like the lawyer didn'tgive a fuck and he wasn't trying to
do nothing for him. So andit's just slowly, but surely, I
began to lose hope. I beganto be like, you know what this
is. And everybody around me istelling me, hey, you're gonna lose,
You're gonna go to prison, you'regonna be a life and this,

(14:13):
and say everybody's telling me that.Everybody's saying me like you like, don't
even just know that you're not gonnago home, you know, and and
I'll get a man like what youmean, man, don't don't fucking don't
don't bring you that bad energy.Man, He's like, and like,
you just gotta face the truth.Man, they don't give a fuck.
You're you're you're gonna get locked upfood like you know that's what he is.

(14:35):
So you know, emotionally, I'mgoing through it, man, like
I don't even supposed to be here. There's no way for me to bail
out. You know. This thing'slike a two million, eight hundred thousand
dollar bill, you know, likeit was just outrageous, Like what the
hell. It's not even a murder, it's an attempted murder. And there

(14:56):
wasn't even a serious, like areally serious life extreme injury because the dude
right away, you know, herecovered like he was willing to court everything.
So I don't understand, right,honey, don't you know they're gonna
hit him with this much? Butthat's what it was. You know.
The My lawyer didn't try to arguethat anything. So I'm stuck. I'm
stuck. I got no way out, yeah yeah, yeah, My look,

(15:33):
I tell a man, no trouble. I don't want to be man.
I just won't vibe big man likeme. No need for the telephone
hide, I got too much gameonline. Who won't rule the nimal side?
Wrong't move, I bet they're gonnaride. No need for the telephone
hide nah, no need for thesnoozing big with my flight, I'm cruising
big chicken slide no clothes. Thenbetter watch y'all, but play the sis.

(15:54):
Don't ask them who wore the says. I bet they know where I'm
moving. Then I bet I'll showwe're into a damn How you hate and
then los again? How you hatingmy vibe? Why you're wasting my time?
Can't hype for my line teller,Man, I don't want feedback.
I just want to relax, brandnew with you, to not need that
brand new hit, you know,like lean back, brand new bits.
I live, Man, we're backman. You never gonna lie. Get

(16:15):
him on fighting. I let himon like that way they know we're more
ride fig in my life. I'mliving on right. I'm nice. You
know I'm gonna riding coming looking likeChrist. No need for the hype,
but fight on telephone vibe puts noneed for the telephone vibe, but no
need for the lied. I don'twant for the move for the priget.
I got much to do on biggets, big boxes moving silence washing. Don't
need for the liars. I don'twant your move to prigets. I got

(16:37):
much to do one bigas big boxesmoving the silard. Yeah me, I'm
moving. Quiets me, guys,he ain't in Higland. Do you want
the first for the timing, don'tneed for the searcher shotting man, I
need me a spear. I wantto need me your eyler to keep for
the truth, the man, thebother to keeping it cool. Don't need
for thee Yeah, little man,no trouble. I don't want to beat
man. I just want vibe.Big man like me. No need for

(17:02):
the telephone hide. I got toomuch. Get in online, you won't
rule. Then then I'm on side. Wron't move up and they're gonna ride.
No need for the telephone hid Yeah, tell a man, no trumple.
I don't want beat man, Ijust want five big man like me.
No need for the telephone hides.I got too much. Get in
online my horne rule, and thenI'm on side. My fron't move up
and they're gonna ride. No needfor the telephone, hid, Yeah,

(17:23):
yeah, yeah yeah, Tell theman no trumple. I don't want beach
man. I just want five bigman like me. No need for the
telephone, hid and I got toomuch get in online, won't rule.

(17:45):
Then then I'm gonna like wron't moveup and they're gonna ride. Non't need
for the telephone, hid Na youwill, ma,