Ex-LAPD commander fired over alcohol-related incident wins nearly $6M in wrongful termination lawsuit
A Los Angeles County jury on Wednesday awarded a former LAPD commander $5.7 million, finding in his favor in a lawsuit against the department that claimed he was wrongfully fired for an alcohol-related incident in April 2018.
Nicole Mehringer and her subordinate, Sgt. James Kelly was reportedly found inside an unmarked LAPD Dodge Charger that was stopped against a vehicle parked in the middle of the road in Glendale.
Kelly was reportedly behind the wheel and under the influence, while Mehringer was said to have shown signs of intoxication and argued with officers at the scene.
Pictured is former LAPD Commander Nicole Mehringer. (LAPD)
Glendale police he told the LA Times He said it took about 20 minutes to get the couple out of the vehicle.
Mehringer was charged with a single misdemeanor count of public intoxication. Kelly was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated.
Mehringer’s charge was later dismissed after he completed an outpatient treatment program. According to the Times. Kelly later pleaded no contest.
In his lawsuit, he said he was offered a two-rank demotion, which he refused and lost his job after the disciplinary board ruled against him.
Kelly was reportedly demoted from sergeant to police officer and assigned to an administrative position. It is no longer included in the new department list. The Times reported.
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Mehringer later sued the city, arguing that she was held to a different standard than her male colleagues who committed similar or worse actions and were not fired. He argued that some of the men were allowed to retire quietly, while others kept their jobs or were even promoted.
The jury sided with Mehringer after hearing testimony in which she said she knew it was wrong to have an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and get drunk in public, but that her case was handled unfairly.
Mehringer said the decision vindicated him and restored his reputation after years of legal battles with the city.
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