Brian Bentley, Ex-LAPD Officer, Says Cop Manifestos Not Unusual For Racism Victims

By Dennis Romero Wed., Feb. 13 2013 at 9:03 AM

Brian Bentley

See also: Joe Jones Manifesto: Black Ex-LAPD Cop Says Of Dorner, 'I Understand.'

A third African American with experience at the LAPD has come out to express empathy with Christopher Dorner's charges of cop racism.

Not only that but Brian Bentley, who wrote about his experience on the job in One Time: The Story of a South Los Angeles Police Officer, says he knew three other cops who had manifestos of their own:

He says in a statement that he expected to see a black cop blow his top sooner than later. [Clarification: The statement was made to Jasmyne A. Cannick for a piece, linked above, that will also run in the Los Angeles Sentinel tomorrow ].

It took longer than I thought it would for something like this to happen.

The 49-year-old, like others who have spoken out on the topic of racism inside the LAPD, said he does not condone Dorner's alleged actions -- killing the daughter of an an ex-department captain and her fiance and fatally wounding two on-duty officers.

But he empathizes with Dorner's experience at the department: "I lived it," he says.

Brian Bentley

Bentley, who worked during the admitted LAPD dark days of 1989 to 1999, alleges that fired cops were often the subject of be-on-the-lookout bulletins at local police stations: The department feared retaliation, he says.

When the Department terminated you, they intentionally tried to ruin your life. That's how they discredited you. Dorner isn't the first ex-police officer to have a manifesto or some sort of hit list.

The ex-cop, who says he once worked alongside Mark Fuhrman, claims he even kept a manifesto of his own: It was not a hit list, but a list nonetheless of those in the department he said wronged him.

But aren't things better now?

Bentley says he talks to friends on the force who say that things aren't exactly rosy for African Americans on the force.

He wants to see, according to a summary, ...

... a real conversation can take place in Los Angeles about LAPD's internal policies as well as the racism that still exists in the Department.

(Bentley's latest book is Integrity: A Journey Behind the Blue Line).

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

Brian Bentley, Christopher Dorner, LAPD, racism

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Jipali

So manifesto's aren't psychotic rantings they are normal - seriously you are reaching hard - real hard

You've got some 2 decade retired cop and that justifies writing an article? Weak

jsprev

Or if you go in to the situation looking to be offended or see some conspiracy theory, you are likely to find it.

Nando7

You're spot on with this matter, Bennie. When the tables get turned on a racist institution like LAPD then they realize what it's like to be the hunted. Dorner did what many victims of police brutality wished they had the courage to do and send a message to the force. They're smug when it comes to facing the music about police brutality but how fast they started to gather around when they became the target.

bennie_sowers

why is it that all white or Latino's are interviewed by the media and the black cops are coming out on social networks clearly there is a culture of racism in Every police department in this nation and the perpertrators r always white or latino the blacks seem to always be on the receiving end of the shitty stick why won't someone speak to the racism and police brutality murders to black ppl by the hands of the plice or vigilantes with no investigation or termination or criminal charges and imprisonment given to the many white/ Latino cops who kill innocent ppl charged and sent to prison for murder and given the death penalty because cops should stand above criminal acts while in the line of duty but it is clear that they are criminals on every level from the top cop of this country to the lowest ranking officer clearly the racism is showing very strong acts and gestures of blatant racism over the national airwaves these cocky arrogant cops are just what Dorner claimed they are and they should b held accountable this is another part of the GENOCIDE of Black America Shame on the justice dept of this nation to continue allowing racism in departments of justice to continue esp police and police departments there re not enough ppl to do what Dorner did and should not get reduced to that low level racism is dead and must b buried tell the white man and the Latino that black men ar equal to them in every way and to knock of the stupid dumb racist shit or the perp gets to live the rest of his/her life incarcerated. The media are reporting as though they have proof that Dorner killed the ppl alleged and did what is being fed to them by the same corrupt cops that framed him and other black officers the media is as well extremely racist and filled with bigotry keep an eye on how they phrase what they report about the same crime just a different race!!