Pasadena Police Chief Orders Audit Of Detective Cases

PASADENA (CBSLA.com/AP) — The Pasadena police chief has ordered an independent audit of cases handled by the department's detective bureau after a judge overseeing a murder trial criticized the conduct of two homicide officers.

Chief Phillip Sanchez said Monday the audit will examine cases handled by detectives Kevin Okamoto and William Broghammer dating back to 2005, as well as a cross-section of reports and case filings handled by other detectives.

The audit comes after Judge Larry Fidler earlier this month declared a mistrial in a murder trial. He admonished the detectives for egregious conduct, including threatening witnesses and withholding exculpatory evidence. Fidler believed the evidence may have been favorable to Jerrel Sanford who was accused of being the getaway driver in a fatal 2007 drive-by shooting.

"That raises the question as to whether these same two officers have made an exception to their normal professional practices or whether there have been other cases," Mayor Bill Boggard told KNX 1070's Jon Baird.

Sanchez said in a statement the detectives are also being investigated by the department's internal affairs unit.

The district attorney and alternate public defender are also conducting their own inquiries.

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