Local News in Brief : Suspended Officer Held

A Los Angeles police officer relieved of duty pending a hearing on charges of drug use and insubordination was arrested early Wednesday with cocaine and a gun in his car, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies stopped Craig Leonard, 26, at Laurel Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard--within Los Angeles city limits near West Hollywood--at 4:45 a.m. because his car had a loud tailpipe, a cracked windshield and other defects, Deputy Detta Roberts said. Deputies then found four grams of cocaine, a 9-millimeter pistol and a police-issued bulletproof vest in the car, she said.

Leonard was booked on suspicion of possession of cocaine and suspicion of possession of a firearm because he was not to have a gun while relieved of duty, she said. Bail was set at $2,500.

Police spokesman Cmdr. William Booth said Leonard, a three-year veteran, was relieved of duty without pay July 8 pending a Board of Rights hearing. He faces six charges, including being under the influence of a controlled substance while off duty, refusing to take a urine test and making improper or threatening statements to his supervisors.