One of the UCLA cops who was caught on video torturing a student in shackles with a tazer has a record of sadistic, violent attacks on the job.
Brendon sez, "LAist has a great rundown of the history of Terrence Duren, an 18-year veteran of the UCPD and the 'taser-happy' officer in last week's incident. Among his greatest hits, it seems that he's been fired from a 'real' police force, recommended by the University for dismissal after choking a frat boy with a night stick (UCPD just suspended him), and tried after *shooting a homeless man* (who survived)."
Duren hasn't had the smoothest career in law enforcement. He came to Westwood after being fired from the infamous Long Beach PD. A few years after being hired by UCLA he was accused of using his nightstick to choke a fratboy and the university asked the UCPD to fire Duren, but he was only given a three month suspension.
In late 2003 Duren shot a homeless man, Willie Davis Frazier, Jr., in a Kerckhoff Hall bathroom. Frazier, who attempted at first to shun lawyers and represent himself, was imbalanced enough to spend time in mental institution as the court tried to figure out if he was fit to stand trial.
During a 2004 preliminary hearing in which Duren testified against Frazier, the officer carried a Machiavelli book into court, "The Prince", which argues that the ends justifies the means. "Did you know that this was Tupac's favorite book?" he asked.
(Thanks, Brendon!)
Update: Blogging.la investigated the story further and the LA Times got it wrong — Terrence Duren never worked with the Long Beach PD.
