El Segundo, CA– A state appeals court panel upheld the 6-year conviction today of an LAPD officer who was convicted on two counts of felony assault.
The charges stemmed from a May 2016 off-duty incident in the city of El Segundo.
According to prosecutors, Joseph William Rooney, 34, had an altercation with three men outside a bar that resulted in Rooney returning a few moments later with a gun, striking one of the men with his weapon.
Read More: Man convicted of assault in El Segundo sentenced to six years
Bill Seki, Rooney’s trial attorney, argued that the two men made the incident up and pointed to the fact that they waited for 36-hours to make a report. He also alleged that Rooney was holding a cellphone in his hand during the event, not a gun.
Prosecutors argued there was overwhelming evidence against Rooney. They also pointed to the fact the men were not aware that Rooney was a police officer at the time of the event.
Rooney was also acquitted of two additional counts of assault with a firearm regarding the two other men involved in the incident. Rooney.
Deputy District Attorney Oscar Plascencia made a comment about Rooney which described him as “a bully with a gun who just happened to be an LAPD officer.”
