Excerpt #15

Lewis had been a Lt. in Criminal Intelligence for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. When he came to San Diego in the late 60’s and worked for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office as a criminal investigator, while attending law school. Lewis gave me a “déjà vu” moment when he told me he tried to add a third intelligence bureau.  The Sheriff’s department had theirs and San Diego Police had theirs. Lewis wanted the DA’s office to have their own. Ken O’Brien from San Diego PD was so adamant about not having a third intelligence bureau that he tried to set Lewis up with a hooker that needed to meet with him regarding information on a case. O’Brien’s hope was to catch Lewis in some form of compromise, have him arrested, humiliated and fired just so he could keep the intelligence bureaus at two. Lewis saw through it and it never came to fruition. I thought to myself, a high- ranking officer who would later become a Deputy Chief tried to set someone up with a hooker to humiliate the person and get him fired. Just to have his way. Deja Vu. Despite asking for a different Chief to hear my appeal Chief Ken O’Brien heard my case. #Deja

Author: Larry Avrech