Toni McBride Instagram Photo

(UPDATE: This story, which originally ran yesterday has been updated to include a video at the end, which shows the referenced shooting by Officer McBride of a knife-wielding man. It is shared to provide better context to the insinuations presented by Los Angeles City Attorney Aneta Freeman in an L.A. Times article. See the end of the story for the full video.)

In the steamy streets of Los Angeles, where the sun blazes as fiercely as the public’s opinions on the Second Amendment, Officer Toni McBride was serving looks and justice – until she decided to take aim at the LAPD with a lawsuit that has since misfired. McBride, a vision in blue who could handcuff you with her charm as easily as with her Smith & Wesson, alleged that the LAPD, under the steely gaze of then-Chief Michel Moore, put a damper on her rising star because she refused to holster her social media presence.

A police officer with the sharpshooting skills of Annie Oakley and the social media savvy of Kim Kardashian, McBride wasn’t just patrolling the streets; she was conquering the world of Instagram, where she boasted about 120,000 followers. And that’s likely what the chief didn’t dig. Posts included her in her uniform (though her shield and patches were blurred or removed as per department policy virtually everywhere), hanging at a shooting event with John Wick actor Keanu Reeves, posing in pics dressed hotter than a barrel in one of Iraqveteran8888’s meltdown videos, firing what she dubbed in the post a “sexy Glock” and rocking a tank top emblazoned with “FEMINIS9MM”.

Toni McBride Instagram Photo

However, her civil case against the chief and department missed the target. After a two-and-a-half-day showdown in court, a jury declared that McBride hadn’t been wronged by the LAPD’s refusal to promote her.

The crux of McBride’s legal duel with the LAPD hinged on her claim that Moore blocked her career advancement after she bucked his demands to delete her social media accounts. McBride, undeterred by the ruling, is reportedly not appealing but is reloading for another shot with a gender discrimination lawsuit. in state court “over allegations that male officers were treated with more leniency for similar conduct.”

The courtroom drama featured explosive evidence, including blown-up images of McBride in what some might describe as suggestive attire and wielding a number of firearms, something that would likely make most city-soft Los Angelinos squirm.

Gregory Smith, McBride’s attorney, voiced his disappointment, standing by his client’s right to bear arms and smartphones. Yet, Aneta Freeman, an assistant city attorney, painted McBride as a modern-day Calamity Jane, leveraging her badge for fame and using her role as influencer to nab freebies from ballistic vests and ammo to facials and hair extensions.

The L.A. Times article, which first reported on the case, also seemed to take exception to McBride’s wedding photos, some in which she is holding a firearm.

Toni McBride Instagram Photo

The Times article shared this about Freeman’s comments on McBride:

…she cast McBride as a disgruntled employee “seeking to use her position and her badge to make money and to become famous and to become an influencer.”

“Yes, she has a right to post on her social media,” Freeman said. “But with that right comes a responsibility, and she has not met that responsibility.”

Freeman noted that McBride had fatally shot someone while on duty, a case that drew litigation in part because she continued firing after the person was wounded and on the ground. A federal appeals court ruled last month that McBride was protected in federal claims by the legal doctrine of qualified immunity, regardless of whether she used excessive force.

Freeman questioned whether McBride had suffered “emotional distress” over the social media dispute, a claim the officer argued entitled her to $100,000 in damages.

“She shot and killed a man,” Freeman said. “But the emotional distress that she is suffering and that she is asking you to award money for is because she is told to take down her Instagram.”

One of the Times article’s authors, Brittny Mejia, highlighted that last quote on her own social media, however, the case was about the social media and her job, not about the stress she felt over the shooting, which neither Freeman, nor Mejia probably know anything about.

McBride with Keanu Reeves. Toni McBride Instagram Photo

As far as that fatal shooting incident involving Daniel Hernandez, critics such as Freeman argued it was exacerbated by McBride’s gun-toting social media persona, but a federal appeals court sided with McBride in the case citing qualified immunity. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office, which took over the investigation of the shooting, later cleared McBride of wrongdoing as well, theTimes article noted.

While McBride’s legal battle against the LAPD might have ended with a whimper rather than a bang, it’s clear she’s not ready to unload her six-shooter of litigation just yet, nor has she backed off her Instagram account, which is still up even as she continues to patrol the wild western streets of L.A.

 

 

Video of defensive shooting in which Officer Toni McBride was cleared of any wrongdoing.

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68 COMMENTS

      • Thanks for sharing that video. It adds considerable context to the story and that the city attorney was even more full of BS than she already sounded from the news story as that is as a controlled and seemingly justified shoot. We should hope all police officers respond as professionally.

      • “Textbook perfect shoot…”

        You weren’t kidding on the shoot. It looks like *every* shot connected.

        Kudos to the lady officer… 🙂

    • Fuck Off! Did you even watch the video? Yes there are bad cops but she definately isn’t one of them.

  2. “Freeman noted that McBride had fatally shot someone while on duty…”

    …which has nothing to do with this case other than to muddy the waters for the jury. Lawyers are the absolute worst. One took me by surprise while I was on the stand as an expert witness. He began to claim my work was wrong, and that I knew it was wrong. Then I realized it was a desperate attempt to muddy the waters. If he actually believed that, then he would have had his own expert witness to refute my claims. No honest person could work like that.

    “…she continued firing after the person was wounded and on the ground.”

    As I recall, it was more like double tap, reassess, double tap, reassess, just like they trained her to do. It turns out that psychotic, strung out druggies wielding knives aren’t the best listeners.

    • Douchebag DA. No surprise there. Old Billy was right “Let’s kill all the lawyers let’s kill them tonight. Not true for all…tongue in cheek so to speak…

  3. Trying to connect her case with an acorn sounds a little squirrelly. However she is living in 2 worlds that conflict…she should wait until she is former LE like Donut, Bongino, etc.
    The case says a lot about the azzholes who tried to use the legal use of deadly force against her…Good video.

    • “she should wait until she is former LE”

      It wouldn’t be the same. Do people follow those guys because they want to look at them?

        • I’m willing to bet she wouldn’t have nearly as many Instagram followers if she was a middle age dude, or even an average chick. That’s how these things work. We can pretend not to notice, but that doesn’t change reality.

      • Sure, I read penthouse magazine, but only for the thought provoking articles and comments

  5. Whoever wrote this should go back to third grade and retake English classes for a while.

    Also, this isn’t The Truth About LAPD, this is The Truth About Guns, and this has absolutely nothing to do with guns.

    • “Also, this isn’t The Truth About LAPD, this is The Truth About Guns,…”

      TTAG covers guns, gun culture, gun policy and pretty much everything else gun-related.

      Since you seem unhappy with that, you know where the door is, let yourself out…

      • Thanks for the backup Geoff. Agreed. For Run Forrest Run” up above, don’t like it, just don’t read it. That’s cool. We don’t expect every story to appeal to every reader. I don’t read everything on every site I visit either. That’s why websites and news sites post a lot of different stuff; some that may be center of mass on topic and some that is tangential. And yes, we cover a lot of gun culture and as she is a pro-gun influencer, this story has everything to do with what we cover.

  6. “…that male officers were treated with more leniency for similar conduct.”

    she does have a point there on the similar conduct thing.

    • Assuming they were engaging in similar attention seeking behavior and received different treatment. Not going to say there isn’t the possibility of a case but good luck with that from previous experience with a vaguely similar issue.

  7. “leveraging her badge for fame and using her role as influencer to nab freebies from ballistic vests and ammo to facials and hair extensions.”

    so she didn’t use her badge to nab those freebies, instead she used her work as an influencer to get them. Unlike the LAPD officers who use their badge to get free stuff from free meals to even free cars, ’cause ‘first responder heros’ thing that gives them an unearned ‘fame’ similar because they wear a badge.

    • In the real old days a badge got police officers free apples. Badge grift has been going on for a long time.

    • I mean wasn’t going to see a doctor short of emergency treatment here in NY anyway but guess I will have to vet the out of state options as well.

  12. The less attractive police officers are not happy. They want attention too. There are plenty of average looking women and men on social media. And most are very good at what they do.

    If you’ve got skills? The audience will reward you. No matter how you look.

    • You have been posting videos of highly relevant things here for a while now. I really don’t think the people running TTAG are taking notice. I’d rather read your posts and watch the videos you bring than most of the articles at this point. You seem to be doing a better job than they are here. I wanted to say thank you.

      • Yeah, I tend to agree. From time to time, .40 links a vid I’m not aware of, and I end up more informed after watching it than I was after reading all the rest of the day’s articles combined.

        • Only complaint, and it is a me issue honestly, is generally don’t have the time/connection to watch the videos so the posted commentary is often helpful.

      • We can repost other people’s stuff too, and sometimes do. If you’d like to just look at other videos, there’s this cool thing called Google. Check it out.

      • I forgot to add, we actually appreciate and don’t mind Booger or any other informed TTAG visitor from posting relevant videos in the comments. (Irrelevant videos may certainly get pulled.) We unfortunately don’t have the resources to cover every single topic going on in the gun world, actually, no media outlet does, nor do we currently have the capacity to create much in the way of video (we’re working on that just to let you all know) though we did already run stories on the “hat issue” and “California.” That said, every writer and outlet offers a different take and as a gun owner, you should check out different sites. Not just ours. TTAG is one part of an awesome gun community, and we appreciate the work other sites are doing, and don’t piss on them or the work they do. We love doing our part to add to and support the gun community and appreciate when people like something they read here or feel more informed or entertained as a result. But we certainly don’t expect everyone to like everything they see here. I don’t like every story or video on my other favorite sites either. But we will try to do our best for you, always.

        • I can certainly use Google. It like will come down to that. I came here in the first place because it seemed to be an organized place with reasonable articles and an engaging commentary. The gun community is filled with all kinds of good stuff. Mist of it is geared towards guns and less towards social media nonsense. Forgive me if I am just not interested in half naked LA cops that are more likely to cause trouble anyway. I can go anywhere on the web for that. I guess I simply expected more from a site that’s called “The Truth About Guns”.

          If you would rather I go somewhere else then so be it. Your right. There most definitely are plenty of other places.

  14. Don’t care. Unless she has personally refused to enforce any of California’s gun laws while on the job, she’s nothing but a filthy hypocrite. Oink oink!

  15. They’re probably just mad that she doesn’t look like a dike, like so many other female officers do.

    • …did you notice her “I refuse to be weak” tattoo?
      Hint, it’s located about 12″ above her “you must be this tall to enjoy this ride” tattoo.

      • Oh there it its. Well I’ve been yelled at so much about ” My Eyes Are Up Here” that I’ve quit looking most anywhere else.
        As a hot woman scantily dressed once told me. ” Yes I like guys looking at me, just not you ,yah fcking creep.”
        Geesh, you’d have thought I was Joe Biden or something.

  18. I don’t know why this is even an article on TTAG. It’s a stupid little piece of nothing.

    I take quick glances at articles now as most seem more like click bait these days.

    Social media gets in the way. Many employers have established rules with regard to things like this. As a cop in a place like that, i can’t understand someone that looks like her actually wanting attention this way. That sidearm and what looks like a .22lr AR wont protect her. This whole thing is nothing more than ridiculousness and just demeans the value of what this site was supposed to be.

    • “Many employers have established rules with regard to things like this.”

      This wasn’t about her breaking their rules.

      She was told to close her social media that apparently didn’t violate any rules. She thought they punished her for that, and I bet they did. I’m not sure if her employer has a problem with the guns or skin on her Instagram. I’m willing to bet there are all kinds of LA employee social media accounts full of swimsuit shots, and more. Her job as a police officer involves her being proficient at using firearms, so I don’t see why publicly displaying firearms is a problem.

      • In a sane world, it shouldn’t be a problem.

        We are talking about LAPD. This is LA Dude. Have you seen what comes out of there lately? Law Enforcement in this country is not exactly war shipped these days. People are flipping out over the mere sight of a firearm. Doing things like this will make half of that city like her more and the other half threaten here life. It’s quite likely not what the leaders at the LAPD want the Californians to think when they see police officers. It isn’t something I would want if I were her. That’s not to mention the woke lunacy that mixes up the restrooms at the police station. Keep in mind that the people she will interact with there are likely on drugs and armed. This is just stupid social media craziness. Nothing more.

    • There is nothing to struggle over here. The right to self defense is a human right for every living human on this planet. The Second Amendment is very specifically for Americans and simply does not apply to anyone else. Our US Constitution is ours. It is not Russian. Otherwise Biden would be president of Earth.

    • I saw a window sticker on a cars drivers side window. It said Only Male Cops Stop Me.
      I waited around to see why and out of the store came an ugly chik with a box of donuts.

    • “I bet that MacBride has lots of criminals just begging her to handcuff them.”

      Based on the tanned, golden, and glistening pic of her up top, I wouldn’t mind a ‘bust in the mouth’ from her… 😉

  29. She’s a civil servant. Play by the rules when you are a civil servant. I cannot believe I’m saying this because it is LA and California, but good.

    • Play by the “rules” as in the whims of the chief? Not everyone is cut out to be a bootlicker, but you do you. The article doesn’t say that she violated any rules by having social media accounts.

    • I contract-worked for a municipality for over 30 years as an electrician, and I can say we questioned everything… the only way to not go nuts is to believe half of what you see and nothing that you hear. They didn’t like having their rules broken, so we’d just bend them until the ends almost touched together.

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