OAKLAND – High-ranking Oakland police officers are facing serious discipline for alleged misconduct related to an internal investigation of a detective accused of bribing a confidential witness in a murder case, and later lying about it, multiple sources have confirmed.
Oakland Police Department Deputy Chief Drennon Lindsey — the wife of former OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong — and lead internal affairs investigator Sgt. Mega Lee were served with notices of intent to terminate, according to the sources, who spoke to the Bay Area News Group on the condition of anonymity.
Capt. Kevin Kaney faces a lengthy suspension, while Lt. Hamann Nguyen could end up demoted, the sources said. All four officers have the right to appeal the proposed discipline, and to appear before a hearing officer at what is known as a Skelly hearing.
Multiple attempts to reach attorneys representing the officers were not successful Wednesday. Separately, Lindsey did not respond to messages.
The proposed disciplinary actions, which stem from an investigation outside of the Oakland Police Department, are linked to a current criminal case against Phong Tran. The longtime homicide detective, who is facing a jury trial on charges of perjury and bribing a witness, helped convict two men of murder who were later set free once the money-for-testimony allegations surfaced.
The DA’s office and others are reviewing more cases involving Tran – which total in the dozens, if not hundreds – and it is possible that other officers may face internal discipline. Tran, who remains on leave, has pleaded not guilty.
Independent investigative reporter and author Ali Winston broke the news last month, reporting that senior OPD officials “pushed back on the district attorney’s admonitions about the problems with Tran’s work” in a murder case and soft-pedaled the internal affairs investigation. Ultimately, IA investigators reached what Winston called an “unfounded” finding, clearing Tran of misconduct.
In a statement sent on behalf of Armstrong, his spokesman, Sam Singer, said the former chief has “no access to the details of the outside investigation,” but is “aware from his involvement in the outside investigation that actions taken by the city of Oakland in connection with it raise serious questions about whether the investigation violated Oakland policies and state laws.”
It is rare, although not unheard of, in Oakland for deputy chiefs — a small group of commanders just below the chief and assistant chief — to face termination or discipline. In previous cases, deputy chiefs have opted for retirement instead of fighting through the appeal process.
Lindsey, who has been on some form of medical or injury leave for months, is at retirement age, although it remains unclear if she’ll retire or fight the allegations, sources say. A career OPD officer, she was a finalist for the chief job in 2020, along with her husband, Armstrong. He ultimately got the position, but was fired by Mayor Sheng Thao last year for his alleged mishandling of a separate internal affairs investigation.
Singer said the latest accusations aren’t “any different than the pattern of unfairly targeting police leadership” which Armstrong has documented in his lawsuit against the city. He said proposed discipline many times is overturned.
“Mr. Armstrong looks forward to that process playing out as more details and facts become available,” Singer said in the statement.
Whatever happens, it will be an early test for incoming Chief Floyd Mitchell, who is expected to start in mid-May. Once he is sworn in as chief, Mitchell would have a big say in whether to uphold any decisions out of appeal hearings.
The investigation into the officers has been kept heavily under wraps, with several high-level officials, including City Administrator Jestin Johnson, saying they had heard nothing about it even as rumors began surfacing.
“I stay out of the personnel stuff,” Johnson told this news organization on March 27, following an introductory event for Mitchell, the new police chief.
Representatives for Thao said late last month that the mayor’s office had been briefed on the investigation’s details, but would not confirm what exactly they were told.
Jim Chanin, a prominent civil rights attorney in Oakland, said he had not heard the news and was frustrated to learn that Lindsey might be up for termination. He said none of the officials on a federal monitoring team that oversees OPD were informed of the investigation, and neither was the civilian-led police commission.
“As far as I’m concerned, she put her whole life into the department,” Chanin said in an interview. “This better be good,” he said of the reason for Lindsey’s discipline — “otherwise, I’m outraged.”
