Los Angeles Police Department police car (file photo)
A Los Angeles Police Department officer was charged Tuesday with filing a false report in connection with a Hollywood traffic stop more than two years ago.
Alejandro Castillo faces one felony count each of filing a false report and perjury.
The LAPD's Internal Affairs Division began investigating Castillo -- who was assigned to the West Traffic Division -- after unspecified concerns were identified by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office while reviewing body-worn camera videos for DUI arrests the officer made in October 2019, police said in a statement. The 13-year veteran LAPD officer was arrested July 20.
"Investigators working in partnership with the Justice System Integrity Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office established probable cause to believe that the officer's BWV footage was inconsistent with the written report,'' according to the LAPD.
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The driver -- who had been stopped Oct. 18, 2019, for allegedly making an unsafe left turn -- was given a sobriety test and subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the District Attorney's Office. DUI charges were not filed against the driver as a result of the investigation.
Castillo, 49, was relieved of his police powers, booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center and released on his own recognizance.
"The allegations of an officer falsifying a police report are extremely troubling and there must be accountability,'' LAPD Chief Michel Moore said in a statement shortly after the officer's arrest.
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Arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. It was not immediately clear whether Castillo has an attorney.
