A Los Angeles police officer is facing serious accusations, accused of a stunning betrayal of public trust. Christopher Brandon Carnahan, a veteran of 18 years with the LAPD, stands charged with insurance fraud, a crime that strikes at the heart of integrity and duty.
The allegations center around a claimed on-duty injury from May 2023, where Carnahan reported a left elbow injury. He was subsequently placed on temporary total disability, a status granting him full salary tax-free for up to a year, and two-thirds of his salary thereafter if the injury persisted.
However, investigators allege a stark contradiction between Carnahan’s claims of debilitating injury and his actual activities. Evidence suggests he wasn’t sidelined by pain, but soaring through the sky – repeatedly engaging in the extreme sport of skydiving.
The District Attorney’s office released compelling photographic evidence, depicting Carnahan not as an injured officer, but as an active participant in physically demanding pursuits. Images show him skydiving and lifting weights, specifically performing exercises that directly stress the elbow he claimed was injured.
The alleged deception didn’t stop at skydiving. Investigators found evidence of regular workouts, further undermining the narrative of complete disability. This wasn’t simply a minor infraction; it was a calculated effort to collect benefits while actively defying the limitations those benefits implied.
District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating the case is fundamentally about honesty and accountability. An officer sworn to uphold the law, he argued, cannot simultaneously claim its protection under false pretenses.
Carnahan now faces two felony counts of insurance fraud, with a potential sentence of up to six years in county jail if convicted. He is currently being held on $100,000 bail, awaiting the outcome of his criminal trial.
The Los Angeles Police Department is conducting its own investigation, and Carnahan’s future with the force hangs in the balance. His employment status will be reevaluated based on the results of the criminal proceedings, marking a potentially devastating end to a long career.
