WOODLAND — A Woodland detective who’s suing the city has filed an amended complaint alleging top officials tried to cover up misconduct records regarding a former interim police chief.
Detective David Plaza filed a public records suit against the city in August, seeking complaints and misconduct records against Sgt. Brad Gillaspie. Plaza accuses Gillaspie of invasions of privacy and sexual harassment involving females. Plaza also alleges that Gillaspie used racial slurs against him.
In his modified complaint, Plaza accuses former chief Rob Stephenson of destroying those records about Gillaspie last year. He also alleges Mayor Grover Laseke violated the state Public Records Act by secretly holding onto and hiding a copy of the records.
Plaza’s attorneys contend an unnamed sergeant in the department held onto copies of the records after Stephenson instructed him to destroy them. The sergeant said he kept them for his own protection in case the situation ever became public, according to the complaint.
