Police Admit Officer Used Slur Aimed At Gay Man

Palm Springs Police Department has started an administrative review related to a remark by an undercover officer during last June’s Sex Sting targeting gay men in the Warm Sands Palm Springs neighborhood. The Police Department admits the inappropriate comment was made.

The gay slur was used to distinguished an unknown suspect caught in the sting. Bruce Nickerson, a defense witness, testified Monday the slur resulted in the other officer in the car laughing at the comment.

In a press release issued by the Palm Springs Police Department, a spokesperson said, “The Palm Springs Police Department has reviewed videotapes made during the undercover operation and determined that an inappropriate comment was made, which in no way reflects the policy of the Palm Springs Police Department. An administrative review related to this remark has been initiated by the Office of the Chief of Police.”

Attorneys representing both sides appeared in an Indio courtroom on Monday for the first day of hearings in a case that claims police unfairly targeted gay men having sex in public, which resulted in more severe charges than heterosexual couples.

The hearings will help a judge decide if there?s enough evidence to move the case forward.

Defense lawyers want to get the charges against a list of men dismissed, but before they can do that, they need evidence the police discriminated against their clients.

It went back and forth in court, as lawyers defending suspects caught in a Warm Sands ?gay sex sting? told the judge the police unfairly targeted their clients.

The attorneys want to get 10 years worth of documents from the Palm Springs Police Department. Police and Riverside County District Attorney’s Office members don’t want to turn over the documents. The judge will have the final say.

Palm springs Police Lt. Dennis Graham took the stand as the first witness.

The defense attorneys asked him why police targeted only gay men and never heterosexual couples having sex in public.

“I was shocked to hear the lieutenant say his officers approach gay men standing around and tell them to move on, it smacks discrimination.”

This all stems from a sex sting targeting gay men last summer in the Warm Sands neighborhood in Palm Springs.

Police arrested 24 men and charged with them a ?314 Violation,? which would require them to register as sex offenders.

The defense attorneys contend in any other case defendants would only face a misdemeanor charge.