S. Samuel
A couple of Los Angeles police officers have avoided criminal charges in relation to the unauthorized leak of Grammy-winning singer Rihanna's 2009 post-Chris Brown assault photo due to a lack of evidence.
According to reports, the two police officers in question could lose their jobs but will no longer face criminal charges.
An internal report by prosecutors says that after a three-year investigation, they didn’t have enough evidence to show celebrity news website TMZ paid the accused officers for the photo, and that became an obstacle in charging them. The Associated Press report obtained a copy of the March 28 report on Thursday after its contents were first reported by the Los Angeles Times. Officers Blanca Lopez and Rebecca Reyes may still get fired. They are slated to appear before disciplinary panels in August. (Fox News)
Details on police officers Blanca Lopez and Rebecca Reyes’ involvement surfaced in September 2009.
Los Angeles Police Department records reveal that Officer Rebecca Reyes was assigned to the assault case soon after a 911 caller reported hearing a woman screaming for help in L.A.’s Hancock Park neighborhood. When cops responded to that February 8 call, Rihanna, said that she was beaten by Chris Brown, then her boyfriend. The original LAPD report on the Rihanna assault notes that Reyes and several colleagues, including Sergeant Omar Bazulto, were dispatched to the London Hotel, where Brown was believed to have gone after the incident. Brown, who was not actually at the West Hollywood hotel, was arrested later that night after surrendering to cops at the Wilshire Division, the precinct where Reyes, a nine-year LAPD veteran, was last stationed. Reyes’s role at the outset of the case was detailed by two sources with knowledge of the domestic violence probe. (The Smoking Gun)
Reyes and Lopez were accused of leaking the singer’s photo a week prior to the Smoking Gun report.
Former housemates Rebecca M. Reyes, a nine-year veteran of the force, and rookie cop Blanca Lopez have both been “assigned to home” while the investigation plays out. Department officials had not filed any charges against Reyes. In addition to being a gross invasion of privacy, profiting by leaking confidential material is also a misdemeanor. Additional criminal charges could also be faced for revealing the identity of a domestic violence victim. (E! Online)
The Los Angeles Police Department previously said it would take legal action toward finding out how the image leaked online in February 2009.
“The unauthorized release of a domestic violence photograph immediately generated an internal investigation,” a statement reads. “The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence.” (Press Release)
Check out some recent Rihanna footage below:
