Updated: 5:07 p.m. April 14, 2026
The leadership of the Los Angeles Police Commission experienced a significant shakeup on Tuesday during a regularly scheduled meeting, when it was announced that Teresa Sánchez-Gordon had stepped down as president of the police oversight body.
Rasha Gerges Shields was appointed the commission’s new president, and Daniel Tabor was appointed vice president soon after the announcement. Sánchez-Gordon was not present at the meeting.
Shields announced that Sánchez-Gordon would be stepping down and added that she would be playing some continued role on the commission, but did not provide further details before the group went into closed session. A spokesperson for the commission said that Sánchez-Gordon would continue to serve as a commissioner.
“Thank you and I look forward to serving all of you in the community in this role,” Shields said after being appointed president.
The announcement came as a surprise to those present at the meeting. There was no indication on the commission’s agenda or other public forum that the president would be stepping down. The commission’s website was updated with the new titles shortly after the votes.
Sánchez-Gordon had been serving on the commission since 2024, and was appointed president in late 2025. She has shared her experience as an immigrant who settled in East LA as a child and has expressed concern about widespread federal immigration enforcement in the city, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
Erroll Southers preceded Sánchez-Gordon as president of the commission before stepping down last October.
Shields was appointed to the commission in 2023. She has worked both as a federal prosecutor and as a lawyer in private practice.
Tabor was appointed to the commission in January and formerly served as the mayor of the City of Inglewood.
The Los Angeles Police Commission told The LA Local that “Commissioner Sánchez-Gordon had a pre-scheduled absence today. She will remain on the Board and is scheduled to return later this month.”
This story has been updated to include a statement from the Los Angeles Police Commission.
LA Documenter Martin Romero contributed reporting for this piece from the LAPD Board of Police Commission meeting. LA Documenters trains and pays LA residents to take notes at local government meetings around Los Angeles. You can find meeting notes and audio at losangeles.documenters.org
