Former Parlier police chief wins $1 million lawsuit over city firing

PARLIER, Calif. (KFSN) — Parlier's former police chief has won a million-dollar lawsuit after claiming he was fired for investigating a city employee.

“The mayor at the time said on television that I was fired because I went over budget,” said former Parlier Police Chief Jose Garza.

“The real reason I was fired was retaliation for not closing the investigation into the theft of over $25,000 for our records department, the Police Department.”

On Monday, a jury ruled in Garza's favor.

“The jury today found that the investigation was the reason for firing Police Chief Garza. He refused to break the law and stop the investigation. He was even ordered to stop cooperating with the district attorney. He refused. They fired him. That's where we are now. The jury said that was illegal and awarded us a million dollars,” said Garza's attorney Alan Romero.

Mayor Alma Beltran insists that the embezzlement investigation is not the reason.

She says the City Council waited to see whether Measure Q, needed to fund the police department, would pass in 202 before discussing a new contract for Garza.

She says his previous contract had expired and he was unwilling to work without a contract while waiting for a special election on Measure Q.

“If Measure Q had already been passed, if it had passed in November and not failed, then we would be in a different situation, but that didn't happen and instead of working with us, he attacked us,” Beltran explained.

Beltran does not believe the city had a fair chance to present its case in court.

In 2022, Garza became police chief in Coalinga, where he still serves today.

He says the case followed him.

“I'm happy. I'm happy and I thank the jury for the result. I'm just relieved. It was a long three and a half years to get the truth out there and restore my reputation,” Garza said.

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