Antioch Police Department agrees to oversight in wake of police corruption, racism scandals

ANTIOCH — The city of Antioch has formed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to increase police oversight, a major step as the police department looks to turn a corner on dual scandals involving racism and alleged criminals within its ranks.

Through a 25-page Memorandum of Understanding with the DOJ, Antioch has agreed to hire a consultant and form a police oversight commission to monitor use of force incidents and misconduct allegations, but also to keep an eye on hiring and promotion practices within the department. The agreement, announced Friday, will run for the next five years, assuming the agreement is not altered after President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month.

The city’s police department has been under increased scrutiny since 2022, when the FBI and Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation into alleged corruption by officers. Since then, 14 Pittsburg and Antioch cops were indicted on a range of federal and state charges, and dozens of Antioch cops were placed under administrative investigation for group chats where sexist, racist and homophobic communications were exchanged.

The MOA places specific emphasis on monitoring K9 bites, among other uses of force, because that was a major component of the criminal investigation. One former K9 officer, Morteza Amiri, was indicted for alleged civil rights violations involving dog bites. He and two former colleagues, Eric Rombough and Devon Wenger, are set to go on trial later this year over charges that they conspired to assault people in pre-planned uses of force involving Amiri’s police dog and the use of less-lethal projectile guns.

Before they were indicted, the three were cleared by internal city investigations, which found the uses of force consistent with Antioch’s policies. The indictment alleges the exact opposite — that the officers violated their policies and the law, yet were allowed to continue working until the criminal probe was opened.

Amiri was convicted of fraud and conspiracy for his role in a scam — mostly involving Pittsburg cops — to illegally acquire incentive pay for education by paying former Pittsburg police Officer Patrick Berhan’s then-fiancée to take online classes for him. Berhan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in federal prison, while four others were sentenced to terms ranging from probation to 90 days behind bars.

The MOA says that its purpose is to “to protect the rights of all members of the community, ensure the safety and security of all people in the City of Antioch, and ensure public confidence in APD.” The DOJ and APD both put out statements supporting its formation.

“The Parties have a shared recognition that the ability of a police department to protect the community it serves is promoted through strong relationships with the community,” the MOA says. “Public safety, lawful and nondiscriminatory policing, and the community’s trust in its police force are thus interdependent.”

The MOA has no bearing on a simultaneous investigation by the California Department of Justice into uses of force by APD officers. The police department, now under acting Chief Brian Addington — the former chief of Pittsburg — says it will comply with both probes.

“We acknowledge that trust is earned, not given, and this agreement marks a meaningful step forward,” a statement released by Antioch police on Friday says.

“In working with the Justice Department to institute policing reform, Antioch Police Department sends a strong message that the discrimination and misconduct that prompted this investigation will not be tolerated,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said in a written statement. “The agreement we have secured will ensure that Antioch’s policing practices are free from discrimination in the road ahead — the community deserves nothing less.”

Former Antioch mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, who held the position for four years before losing his bid for re-election in November, said in a statement: “My term as mayor was focused on making Antioch a safer city by addressing the longstanding mistrust between the public and the Antioch Police Department. As a result of today’s agreement, I am proud to say that my administration has successfully achieved its objective of reforming the culture of racism that has plagued the Antioch Police Department for decades.”