2 Ex-Officers Face Charges in Shooting of Biker in Torrance

Criminal conspiracy charges have been filed against two former Torrance police officers who allegedly lied about the accidental shooting of an unarmed suspect in order to make it appear that the man, partially paralyzed as a result, provoked the shooting by moving suddenly, as if to reach for a weapon.

Timothy Pappas, 27, and Mark Holden, 30, were charged by the Los Angeles County district attorney Thursday with conspiracy to obstruct justice and conspiracy to falsely charge another with a crime. Both are free on their own recognizance pending arraignment next week in Los Angeles Municipal Court.

If convicted, each could be sentenced to as many as three years in prison.

Pappas and Holden were fired by the Torrance Police Department after the May shooting, as was a third officer who also was accused of lying about the incident.

May Get Immunity

The third officer, Timothy Thornton, reported the alleged conspiracy to his superiors and probably will be granted immunity in exchange for testifying against the other two, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher Darden.

The charges stem from the shooting last May 9 of Patrick J. Coyle, 30, of Torrance, a construction worker who was riding his motorcycle on Western Avenue about 10 p.m. when he was stopped by Pappas.

Pappas, riding alone in his squad car, reported that he pulled Coyle over because he was “acting suspiciously” in a neighborhood frequented by heroin dealers.

Pappas drew his .45-caliber pistol, cocked it and pointed it at Coyle, who remained astride his motorcycle, according to police reports.

Coyle later told investigators that he obeyed Pappas’ order to remove a lug wrench from his jacket and drop it on the ground.

It was then that Thornton and Holden arrived on the scene. Holden walked behind Coyle and grabbed both his arms in a restraining hold, Darden said. As Coyle was being held, Pappas’ gun discharged and the bullet struck Coyle on the chin, lodging in the back of his skull, police reports said.

The shooting appeared to be an accident, Darden said.

Initial Statement

According to police reports filed along with the charges, however, the officers initially told superiors that Pappas responded as Coyle reached toward his waistband.

Pappas was quoted in a subsequent police report admitting: “Nothing was said, ‘Let’s do this and let’s do that.’ We, you know, came up with a story. It was just sort of: ‘Hey, he had a wrench.’ . . . ‘Yeah, he had a wrench.’ . . . and that was it.”

Pappas and the other officers initially told Police Department investigators that it was only after the shooting that they learned the “weapon” was a wrench, police reports said.

Thornton said he went along with the story after his training officer, Holden, pressured him by saying, “We need to go to Tim’s (Pappas’) aid. . . . The story’s got to be right.’ ”

Thornton was a probationary employee and said he feared his job would be in danger if he did not go along with the story.

Four months after the shooting, according to the reports, Thornton told a superior that the shooting was unprovoked.

‘Tensed Up’

According to police reports on the incident, Pappas, when confronted with Thorton’s accusation, admitted to department administrators that he had “tensed up” and accidentally pulled the trigger.

“I’m not a killer,” Pappas said, according to the reports.

Lawyers for Pappas and Holden denied the charges. Thornton’s attorney could not be reached for comment Friday.