False Confession Extorted by Police Via Psychological Torture

There are stories of police misconduct and brutality in the news every single day, so it takes a truly terrible story to capture the nation’s attention. Unfortunately for Thomas Perez Jr., his story is the most recent one to shine a light on what police are capable of when they are determined to get a confession out of you. At the Law Offices of Dale K. Galipo, we’ve seen how police misconduct can change victims’ lives forever. Call us at 818-347-3333 to schedule a consultation with our Los Angeles police misconduct lawyers.

Police misconduct covers a wide array of behaviors, and actually holding the police accountable for their actions can be an uphill battle. If you or a loved one has been a victim, seeking help from a police misconduct lawyer can be crucial. Some of the most common forms of police misconduct include excessive force, false arrest, racial profiling, and coerced confessions. False confessions are at the center of this news story. For those facing such challenges, a Los Angeles police misconduct law firm can provide the necessary expertise and support.

Thomas Perez Jr.’s Trauma

When Thomas Perez Jr.’s father failed to return after a nighttime walk with the dog, he was worried—even more so when the dog returned without his father. He did what anyone else would have and called the police to report his father missing.

The next 17 hours would put him through hell. Investigators immediately assumed that Perez was guilty of not just his father’s disappearance, but his murder. They claimed he was distracted and unconcerned when he called to report his father missing, even though worried family members can act in a variety of ways when reporting an incident to the police. That misconception was enough for them to spend 17 hours getting Thomas Perez Jr. to confess.

Psychological Torture Inflicted by the Police

From the very beginning, investigators were certain that they knew the truth and that they needed Perez to confirm it. Frustrated with his refusal to confess, they told him that his father’s body had been recovered and was now wearing a toe tag in the morgue. They went one step further, insisting that they had evidence linking Perez to his father’s murder.

When Perez insisted that he didn’t kill anyone, it’s reported that the police then told him that the mind can suppress traumatic memories.

Throughout this time, Perez became very obviously distressed. He pulled out his hair, tore his shirt off, and hit himself. He was also denied medications he relied on for his own safety, including blood pressure and psychiatric medications.

At this point, Perez believed his father was dead—the victim of a violent murder—and that he was the primary suspect. Investigators upped the stakes again by bringing in his beloved rescue dog, Margosha. They told him that they were going to surrender her to the county and have her euthanized as a stray dog; they’d just brought her in so he could say goodbye. They further antagonized him by claiming that his dog knew what he had done and that she had walked through the blood left behind when he murdered his father.

The False Confession

That was Perez’s breaking point. He curled up with his dog on the floor and confessed. He told investigators he had stabbed his father with scissors several times after his father hit him in the head with a beer bottle. When investigators left him alone, finally having gotten what they wanted out of him, he attempted to hang himself with the drawstring from his shorts.

At this point, Perez was arrested and put on a three-day psychiatric hold in a mental hospital.

The Aftermath

At this point, the investigation took a strange turn. Thomas Perez Sr. was at the airport, waiting to go see his daughter in Northern California. He wasn’t missing, and he certainly wasn’t dead. Having already done so much damage to the younger Perez, the obvious choice would be to tell him that his father was alive and take steps to reverse the damage they’d done. Instead, they did not tell him that his father was alive, and they forced him to wait out his three-day psychiatric hold. Additionally, they did surrender his dog to the shelter. When Perez’s three-day hold was up, he was able to track her down and retrieve her.

Police searched the home, looking for proof that he had assaulted someone else. They found nothing.

When Perez brought his case to court, he ultimately received $900,000 in a settlement. But that’s cold comfort when you consider the psychological trauma he will be grappling with for the rest of his life.

Protect Your Rights With the Police Misconduct Attorneys at Dale K. Galipo Law Firm

Claims against the government are held to different standards than claims against private entities, and you need to work with an police misconduct attorney with experience in this complex area of law. Let us help—call our firm at 818-347-3333 or fill out our online contact form to start your claim.