Under Vice President Rasha Gerges Shields, the LAPD Commission failed to hold Chief Michel Moore accountable in a sexual harassment case that cost Los Angeles $4 million in damages and millions more in legal fees.
In court, Moore admitted he refused to act on the victim’s request because he feared the matter might go “viral” — an indefensible excuse for any leader, let alone the city’s top law enforcement officer. A formal complaint was later filed against him for neglect of supervisory duties, but the Commission under Gerges Shields adjudicated it as “Unfounded.” A jury disagreed.
Moore’s own testimony confirmed misconduct, yet Gerges Shields never once publicly criticized him. Worse, only months after the Commission cleared him, Gerges Shields praised Moore for having an “exemplary” career — effectively rewarding a chief whose negligence enabled sexual harassment inside the LAPD.
Complaint adjudication, Gerges Shields’ LinkedIn post, initial complaint against Moore
As Vice President of the LAPD Commission, Rasha Gerges Shields failed in her oversight role by ignoring months of misconduct in the department’s treatment of journalists.
The Commission did not acknowledge that LAPD officers violated California Penal Code 409.7(a), which protects reporters covering protests from assault, detention, or obstruction. It also overlooked blatant defiance of a federal court order—a temporary restraining order that expressly prohibited police from detaining or assaulting members of the press.
By refusing to denounce these violations for months, the Commission allowed misconduct to escalate, culminating in ten reporters being injured or unlawfully detained. Under Gerges Shields’ leadership, the Commission’s silence enabled the LAPD to act outside the law without consequence, leaving journalists vulnerable to abuse.
LA Times and Reporters Without Borders articles on LAPD attacks on journalists
After the June 2025 protests, LAPD Commissioner Rasha Gerges Shields commended the department for its handling of the demonstrations. Her praise sent the message that violations of law and policy would be excused rather than condemned.
A New York Times investigation found that LAPD officers repeatedly misused 40mm “less lethal” sponge rounds during those same protests. The analysis documented multiple cases where individuals who posed no threat suffered severe head injuries from officers firing the rounds improperly.
LAPD’s own policy is clear: 40mm sponge rounds may only be used when a subject poses an immediate physical threat, and cannot be used simply to disperse a crowd. Yet officers did exactly that. For Gerges Shields to commend the LAPD under these circumstances was not just premature—it was a shameful failure of oversight.
Investigation by the New York Times into how LAPD broke protocols and injured protesters.