Man sues Police Department over personal information

A developmentally disabled resident is suing the Huntington Beach Police Department for allegedly allowing information about his condition to get out, which he claims led to harassment by neighbors.

John Patrick Rogers, whose criminal record goes back to the early 2000s, said when police arrested him from his van in front of his home May 21, they left the driver-side window down and the van unlocked.

The van, which had medical records for him and his now-deceased mother, thousands of pictures and items with sentimental value, was ransacked and his information got out, Rogers said in the lawsuit.

He said neighbors called the police to report the incident with his van, but their concerns were ignored.

“When I got out of jail three days later, I became the butt of jokes by mean-spirited members of the community,” Rogers, who has Asperger’s syndrome, said in the lawsuit. “I suffered emotional distress, violation of privacy, and eventually this information was used against me coupled with defamatory lies…”

City Atty. Jennifer McGrath would not comment on the case.

Rogers was arrested for keying and denting a neighbor’s car. He was sentenced to 330 days in jail and three years of probation, according to court records.

Rogers has been arrested multiple times by the police department in the past. In 2003, he was charged with misdemeanor reckless driving. In 2004, he pleaded guilty to lewd conduct in public. Rogers was also charged with contempt of court orders.