DHS agent goes to battle with California cops over ‘cowl up’ — with proof from Costco

A federal agent is alleging the San Diego Police Division is attempting to cowl up his confrontation with an off-duty officer at a Costco — who allegedly directed a racial slur at him and knocked him out.

Immigration officer Chu Ding filed a lawsuit final week in opposition to the town and several other officers, alleging they hashed up the 2024 incident.

Surveillance video exhibits San Diego cop Jonathan Ferraro blocking Ding from leaving as he waited for a close-by parking spot.

When Ding knocked on his window, a plain-clothes-wearing Ferraro allegedly acquired out of the automobile and referred to as Ding a “Chinese language piece of s–t” and slammed him to the bottom.

Ferraro then knowledgeable Ding he was a police officer and flashed his badge. A number of bystanders referred to as 911 to report the off-duty officer because the attacker, however the lawsuit claims at the least six 911 operators labeled Ding because the offender.

The lawsuit claims 911 operators supplied emotional assist to Ferraro’s spouse through the incident.

“Whereas hanging up on one of many callers who complained about Ferraro and chastising one other caller for the way in which he was talking to Ferraro, a 911 operator and her supervisor stayed on the decision with (Ferraro’s spouse) Jessica Ferraro to offer emotional assist,” the lawsuit stated.

Operators upgraded the decision to a Precedence 0 name, directing greater than a dozen officers, together with a lieutenant, a sergeant, two detectives, and a media relations spokesperson to the scene.

Division management knew the incident would dominate the media and needed to filter their response, the lawsuit alleged.

“The information that an off-duty SDPD officer had screamed a racial epithet and body-slammed a federal officer, knocking him out, could be a public relations nightmare,” the lawsuit says.

“With a purpose to get forward of this drawback, the spokesperson for the division responded to the scene to coordinate the optics.

“The one technique to forestall Mr. Ding from criticizing the division was to get him to confess to wrongdoing,” the lawsuit added.

Officers, the division’s public relations, and a supervising officer thought of charging Ding with a felony to maintain him “quiet,” however knew it wouldn’t stick, in accordance with the go well with.

There was in depth proof in Ding’s favor, together with a number of witnesses, 911 calls, and the surveillance footage.

A number of bystanders on the scene have been yelling at Ferraro that “he was going to jail and telling him because of this everybody hates cops.”

They referred to as for an ambulance for Ding, however despatched it away after he started asking questions on Ferraro’s identify.

Legislation enforcement there initially deliberate to quote and launch Ding with misdemeanor battery on an officer, however appeared to alter course after studying he was an immigration officer.

Officers took “the extremely uncommon step of” sending an ambulance away whereas Ding had a fractured rib, and transported him to the substation.

There, they allegedly denied him meals, water, and medical care earlier than pressuring him into signing a letter of apology to Ferraro.

The lawsuit says it took hours for Ding to lastly take ache remedy for his wounds. Officers held Ding for almost 24 hours with out bail earlier than he was launched.

The District Legal professional refused to press expenses in opposition to Ding, and the Division of Homeland Safety’s Workplace of Skilled Duty cleared him of any wrongdoing.

However the lawsuit, which requires reparations for plenty of alleged offenses, together with extreme pressure and false imprisonment, says the arrest took a toll on Ding.

“Mr. Ding’s coworkers now have a look at him with suspicion, and he continues to reside within the shadow of the embarrassment brought on by these Defendants,” it says.

The California Submit reached out to the DHS and SDPD for remark.

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