A Los Angeles Police Department sergeant who handcuffed and detained a “Django Unchained” actress last year, is accused of violating city ethics rules for leaking audio of the arrest to media, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The now retired Sgt. Jim Parker is reportedly accused of disclosing confidential information without authorization to “create a private advantage of himself,” according to the LA Times.
Last year, actress Daniele Watts and her partner, chef Brian Lucas were arrested apparently for kissing in their car. Audio from the LAPD obtained by TMZ at the time suggests Parker was responding to a report of a couple having sex in a car parked near a Studio City talent agency.
Lucas told BuzzFeed News in September 2014 that the couple was only kissing in the car – not having sex.
The incident made national headlines after the couple complained in a Facebook post that the police officers thought the couple was engaging in prostitution because of their race. Watts is black and Lucas is white.
In the audio recording of the incident, Parker asked Watts for identification but she refused, walked away, and yelled, “It’s my right to sit on the fucking street corner and make out with my boyfriend!”
A LAPD spokesperson told BuzzFeed News last year that due to the media attention the arrest gained, the department opened an internal investigation, “just to make sure our officer did everything they’re supposed to do.”
According to the LA Times, Parker faces a fine of up to $10,000 for the alleged ethics violations.
Requests for comment from the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, which enforces rules related to campaign finance, lobbying, and government ethics, were not immediately answered.