A group of Los Angeles police officers who are suing the city over allegations they endured sexual hazing on the LAPD’s amateur football team now risk facing retaliation, their attorney says, because the department revealed their identities during an internal investigation. The attorney, Michael Morrison, said he was concerned that the internal affairs unit had disclosed the names to other officers during questioning about misconduct related to the Centurions, an all-LAPD squad with around 50 players that competes against other police agencies. His comments came as department officials announced they lacked evidence to present a criminal case against any officers “right now.
” Morrison said officials should have known about the potential for backlash if his clients’ names — which had been kept secret during the litigation — became known within the department. Like other police departments, Morrison said, the LAPD has an insular culture that punishes those who break ranks, even to call out possible wrongdoing. “I can’t see any other purpose for it, because you can ask all the questions that you want without disclosing their names,” Morrison said.
An LAPD spokesman said Thursday that department does not comment on pending litigation, and a call to the internal affairs unit was not immediately returned. Morrison said one of the officers who came forward with hazing allegations was confronted last week at a Dodgers game by an LAPD colleague and former Centurion t.