A judge is weighing a defense request for personnel records involving former Long Beach Police Officer Erik Suarez.
A legal dispute is unfolding over what information should be disclosed from the personnel file of former Long Beach Police Officer Erik Suarez, who was convicted of misdemeanor aggravated battery in Georgia and later received discipline in Long Beach over a separate use-of-force incident.
Defense seeks personnel records
Defense attorney Scott Sanders is representing Lonnie Jacobs in a criminal case and has asked the court to review material related to Suarez. Sanders argues that information about Suarez’s prior conviction and disciplinary history may be relevant to Jacobs’ defense.
According to reporting by LAist and the Long Beach Post, Suarez pleaded guilty in 2022 to misdemeanor aggravated battery stemming from a 2019 incident in Georgia. Long Beach police records later showed a sustained 2023 finding that Suarez used unnecessary or unreasonable force during an arrest.
Long Beach contests broader disclosure
An attorney for the Long Beach Police Department argued in court filings that the allegations in Jacobs’ case do not establish grounds to search the officer’s personnel file for every category of misconduct. The department has also said it is restricted from discussing confidential personnel matters.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said it was not aware of Suarez’s Georgia conviction during its 2023 review of the separate use-of-force incident. Prosecutors declined to charge Suarez in that matter, citing insufficient evidence.
Suarez left the Long Beach Police Department in June and is now employed by the Burbank Police Department, according to state records cited in the reporting. A hearing on the records request is scheduled for Nov. 12.
Source: Long Beach Post / LAist.
