Los Angeles DA reduces charges against LAPD officer who taped colleagues making racist remarks

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman delivers remarks at a press conference on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Safiyah Riddle) 2026-08-19T19:15:41Z Los Angeles (AP) — The Los Angeles District Attorney has backed off felony charges against a police officer who secretly recorded his colleagues making racist remarks after facing criticism the response was too harsh and could deter whistleblowers from coming forward. Los Angeles Police Officer Daniel Flores was charged in July with 16 felonies after he shared recordings last year that captured officers in LAPD’s recruitment division making racist and sexist comments. He reported those recordings to the LAPD’s internal affairs in early 2025. The Los Angeles Times first reported the existence of the tapes at the time. More than a year after the tapes were shared, District Attorney Nathan Hochman charged Flores for violating a decades-old California eavesdropping statute that prohibits secret recordings without informed consent of all parties present. He faced up to 13 years in prison. But those charges prompted swift backlash, including from Flores’ attorney, who said it was wrong to prosecute Flores for exposing bad behavior. Attorney Alan Jackson told the LA Times in July that the charges sent a message that “if you document bigotry inside the LAPD, you will be the one who ends up in a courtroom. It tells them the safe move is to hear slurs and say nothing.” Hochman on Wednesday said he still believed Flores violated the law, but announced that prosecutors would downgrade all 16 charges to misdemeanors. That will allow Flores to enter a diversion agreement, which means he can avoid jail time as long as he doesn’t violate any laws for a year. Jackson did not respond to an emailed request for comment on Wednesday morning. Hochman said his office was “listening to the impact the case was having on potential whistleblowers” when it decided to reduce the initial charges, which he said, “sent the wrong message” to the public. Hochman vehemently denounced the comments made by the other officers, saying the remarks amounted to “hate speech.” But he said that there wasn’t evidence that they amounted to a hate crime, which prevented his office from criminally prosecuting those who made the comments. (