A former Palo Alto police sergeant facing criminal assault charges for roughing up a city resident during a 2018 arrest had a prior reputation for using force and a questionable nickname among fellow officers to match, court records show.
We got to 87 [police code for “meet the officer”] later…I want to hear it and tell you what I saw…allegedlyWhen asked about his reaction to the court documents and Sgt. Benitez’s nickname “The Fuse,” Alvarez said he was bothered yet hardly surprised.
Salfen, Alvarez’s attorney, said the text messages demonstrate a widespread toxic culture within the department. NBC Bay Area has previously reported on additional controversies involving Agent DeStefano, including a separate civil rights lawsuit alleging the officer broke a young man’s arm during a traffic stop. The plaintiff alleged he had a seizure during the stop and said DeStefano reacted by placing him in a hold that severely broke his arm.
Attorneys representing Benitez and DeStefano did not respond to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment. Neither did Mullarkey when NBC Bay Area attempted to contact him directly through email.
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