Indio City Attorney writes memo about dismissal of 3rd party investigator in police department investigation

Roxanne M. Diaz, the city attorney for Indio, delivered an explanation during Wednesday's city council meeting on the dismissal of a third-party investigator looking into allegations against the Indio Police Department's administration, including Chief Mike Washburn.

In this memo, Diaz said there had been delays in the completion of the investigation because of a medical matter and additional concerns.

"It was then brought to my attention that an associate of the investigator who was not given the authority by the city to work on the investigation, conducted several interviews without my knowledge or consent, because of the delays and that someone else conducted the interviews, we released the investigator," Diaz said.

She went on to say that at no time did she get any findings or conclusions from the investigator and any findings from a new investigator will be his own.

The allegations stem from the firing of Indio police officer Sergio Ramirez after he had been acquitted of rape and then whether the chief lied about telling a sergeant to change his report that initially had found no reason for discipline.

Full Story: I-Team takes a deeper look at the turmoil at the Indio Police Department