Former Parlier police chief wins $1M lawsuit over firing by city

Mayor Alma Beltran maintains that erstwhile Parlier Police Chief Jose Garza was not fired due to the fact that of an embezzlement investigation.

PARLIER, Calif. (KFSN) -- The erstwhile constabulary main of Parlier has won a $1 cardinal suit aft claiming helium was fired for investigating a metropolis employee.

"The politician astatine the time, it was connected tv saying that I was fired due to the fact that I was implicit budget," said erstwhile Parlier Police Chief Jose Garza

"The existent crushed I was fired, I was retaliated due to the fact that I wouldn't halt probe of the theft of 25 implicit $25,000 for our records department, the constabulary department."

On Monday, a assemblage ruled successful Garza's favor.

"The assemblage recovered contiguous that the probe was the origin of Chief Garza's dismissal. He refused to interruption the instrumentality and unopen down the investigation. He was really ordered to halt cooperating with the DA. He refused. They fired him. Here we are. The assemblage said that was unlawful, and they ordered america a cardinal dollars," said Garza's attorney, Alan Romero.

Mayor Alma Beltran maintains it was not due to the fact that of the embezzlement investigation.

She says the metropolis assembly was waiting to spot if Measure Q would walk successful 202, which was needed to money the constabulary department, earlier they discussed a caller declaration for Garza.

She says his erstwhile declaration had ended and that helium was unwilling to enactment without a declaration portion waiting for a peculiar predetermination connected Measure Q.

"If Measure Q had already passed, if it would person passed successful November and it not failed past we would've been successful a antithetic situation, but that didn't hap and alternatively of moving with us, helium lashed backmost astatine us," Beltran explained.

Beltran doesn't judge the metropolis got a just accidental astatine presenting its lawsuit successful court.

In 2022, Garza became the main of constabulary successful Coalinga, wherever helium inactive serves today.

He says the lawsuit has followed him.

"I'm happy. I'm happy, and I convey the assemblage for the outcome. Just relieved. It's been a agelong 3 and a fractional years to the truth, to travel retired and get my estimation back," Garza said.

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