Motorist Accuses Officer of ‘Road Rage’

An El Monte police officer has been assigned to desk duty after a motorist accused him of waving his firearm in an incident of “road rage.”

Officials said the matter has been turned over to the district attorney’s office to determine whether charges should be filed against the officer under a state law--directed at road rage--which makes it a felony to display a firearm to another driver.

El Monte Assistant Police Chief Bill Ankeny said that, based on the motorist’s account, “it does not look good.” But he said the California Highway Patrol, which is investigating, has yet to interview the officer and could conclude that, under the circumstances, he acted properly.

El Monte police are also conducting an internal investigation into the matter, Ankeny said.

Ankeny declined to release the name of the officer, who will remain on desk duty while the investigation continues. The CHP said the alleged incident occurred Dec. 23 on the San Bernardino Freeway.

The motorist said the officer displayed his weapon during an argument.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Thomas Krag said the allegations against the officer are being reviewed by the special investigation division.

In another incident involving off-duty El Monte police, two officers have been disciplined for shooting out a light in a city yard.

Mayor Patricia Wallach called the incident “shocking.”

Ankeny described it as “straightforward misconduct.”

“There is no mitigating what they did,” he said. “It was an indiscriminate use of a gun. You don’t take it out of your holster unless you need to do it.”

The two officers were sitting at picnic benches used by yard employees after finishing a shift when the incident occurred, police said.

“They felt their oats or something, and one challenged the other to shoot at this light on the side of the building,” Ankeny said. “There was alcohol involved, let’s say that.”

Multiple shots were fired at the light, police said.

Ankeny said the city’s maintenance staff noticed the broken light and found a bullet in it.

Subsequently, the police launched an internal probe that led to the officers.

“We are extremely disappointed in these two officers. It is really out of character,” Ankeny said.

He declined to release the names of the two officers.