Two Long Beach Police Department officers were arrested Friday for allegedly filing a false police report related to a 2018 firearms arrest.
The officers, 16-year veteran Dedier Reyes and five-year veteran David Salcedo, surrendered on Friday, the same day arrest warrants were issued, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
The officers’ alleged misdeeds were first discovered in February 2018, when “LBPD detectives discovered discrepancies in the police reports and the surveillance video regarding a firearms arrest,” the department said in a release.
“Through their review, detectives learned that the officers’ actions were inconsistent with their written reports,” the release added. “The arrested subject was immediately released, and charges were not filed against him.”
The department investigated the officers for almost a year before submitting the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for potential charges in January 2019, and arrest warrants were issued in December 2021.
Both men, who most recently were assigned to the South Patrol Division, were charged with a count of filing a false police report and a count of filing a false government document. Reyes faces an additional charge of perjury.
The Long Beach Police Department declined to comment on the reason an arrest warrant was not issued for several years after the first discovery of the alleged false statements.
“We defer any questions regarding the DA’s protocols, procedures, and filing timelines to them,” a department spokesperson said in an email.
Reyes’ bail is $2, while Salcedo’s bail is $1, police said, and both have been suspended pending an internal affairs investigation.
“We have high standards and expectations of every employee,” Chief of Police Robert Luna said. “When the actions of an individual employee erode the values of our organization, and the public trust all of us have worked so hard to cultivate, we all must be held accountable.”
The department is also reviewing the officers’ previous cases, police added.
“The Department has proactively launched a thorough review of previous reports and arrests for each officer, and we will work closely with the DA’s Office to share any information and findings pertinent to the investigation. The investigation is ongoing,” the spokesperson added.