Comments on: Anthony Razo: The Bad Cop

By: maria rodriguez

maria rodriguez — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:15:43 +0000

you know what you dont even know the true story so shutup ok i do

By: maria rodriguez

maria rodriguez — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:05:04 +0000

the shooting was true dont even talk cause you dont even know antything make sure that thats true before you put it out. im a close friend of the family i know

By: East L.A

East L.A — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:03:57 +0000

I dated his nephew Brian Razo before Anthony became a cop and now his newphew is a cop. I hope this does not put presure from others cops, although I would not dought it. Anyways it was a terrible thing, let God be the judge. I still think that he deserves what ever he gets, every one good or bad will be rewarded or pay their prize.

By: Celeste Fremon

Celeste Fremon — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:34:45 +0000

Dear Observer,

Thank you for pointing out my genuinely appalling misspelling of Anthony Razo’s name. Worse, I know how to spell it. I don’t know how I managed to make such a mistake, then keep repeating it. Fatigue. The lateness of the night. I’m frankly embarrassed. In any case, it is corrected now, with a note.

As for your other issue: you have a point about the fact that I cited no names as sources—although I assure you my sources are solid and credible. But as I could not name them, you have no way of knowing that. I understand.

Because of this, I debated long and hard about doing the post at all and am still not sure I made the right decision.

The alternative was not to do it, and I did not feel comfortable with that either, given what I knew.

What the post needed was a several full days of field reporting—reinterviewing people who have told me of specific incidents in the past, and interviewing the various new people who were referred to me. Unfortunately, due to other pressing deadlines, those were days I didn’t have. So instead, when the plea deal was announced, I relied on a few quick phone calls and wrote the short, slightly ambiguous post you read—knowing it might easily open me to criticism.

I believe you when you tell me that Anthony Razo did much good. Most people are complex. Most people are also much better than the worst things they ever do. I talked to officers at Hollenbeck who were stunned at the recent revelations. The fact that so many officers donated money for his hospital bills suggests Razo was liked by many.

Yet many residents in the communities he policed were not at all surprised by the charges when news of them broke because, in their experience, Anthony Razo had another side to his behavior and his policing. You will have to take my word for it when I tell you that, in addition to the good he may have done, he also did damage. I don’t suspect this, I know it.

By: Interested Observer

Interested Observer — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:49:19 +0000

If you are going to mention someone in your blog and try to use their story for political expression, it would be nice if you spelled their name correctly or cited credible, quotable sources in references to their past. His last name is spelled RAZO and if you are going to mention his past, also mention that he spent years trying to keep kids out of gangs. The man made real mistakes. Terrible mistakes for which he and his family and friends will pay dearly. But he also tried to help many downtrodden members of his community.

Idiot.

By: Just Wondering

Just Wondering — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:02:06 +0000

“Iâ€™d heard tales about him for years, in and around the Pico-Aliso housing projects of Boyle Heights where he used to work the gang detail. None of the tales were good. There were even a few accusations of planted evidence, one of them pretty credible.”

**************************

I wonder if any tales about young kids being used to commit crimes for older gang members were ever found credible? I wonder if any tales about drug dealing, shootings and murders by the same reliable gang members were ever found to be credible?

By: Clancy

Clancy — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:15:00 +0000

Apparently Don Quixote never will. Maybe the next “fabricator” could describe brown-skinned fellows wearing pegged pants, long suit jackets. and wide brimmed hats? If that transpired would Don Quixote again claim unfair racial profiling against “Flashback 50s Zoot-Suiters”? Probably so, yes I’d have to say certainly so. But I kid the Don.

By: Woody

Woody — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:28:23 +0000

Why is it that, when people make fake claims about being crime victims, they always pinpoint blacks or Hispanics as the perpetrators? Like, who would believe that?

By: El Chavo del Eastside

El Chavo del Eastside — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:44:12 +0000

This is the direct result of the Bush and Cheney era. The police should be given free cars, free loans and attend weekly poetry readings. Let’s hope Obama increases the pay and benefits of all government employees. We need to provide long vacations, homes, cars, insurance to all govenrment employees, especially the cops for all their service to our country.

By: don quixote

don quixote — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:31:14 +0000

I also thought the whole shooting of Razo story stunk Celeste. Especially the part of the story about two bald headed gunmen accosting him at home at 4:00 am while he was going to play golf. It stunk, and the reporting by the LA Times, who fell for the “two bald headed” shooters lie, an old xenophobic code for Chicano gang members, it stunk too.