A red-light camera photo that shows an unidentified person dressed as the Grinch in a sheriff's patrol car roll through a red light in the Inland Empire is part of a civil lawsuit that alleges a deputy illegally blew through the light to snap a souvenir picture.
The Dec. 2013 photograph, which shows a costumed person waving at the camera as they blow through a red light in Victorville, was presented in court Monday as part of an ongoing civil trial involving the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Deputy Brian Moler, one of three plaintiffs in the case, testified that the photo is of one of his colleagues and that the incident went unpunished. Moler, along with the other two plaintiffs Tim Jordan and Jeff Wetmore, are seeking damages for whistleblower retaliation, according to court documents.
The lawsuit alleges that the department has destroyed evidence, altered citations and implemented an illegal quota when it comes to issuing citations or making arrests.
The three "refused, and still refuse, to violate state law by adhering to a quota system of issuing citations or making arrests," the complaint reads.
Attempts to reach the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for comment on the photo and the trial were unsuccessful.
