Hundreds of Southern California criminal cases could be jeopardized after more than a dozen police officers exchanged racist and homophobic text messages, according to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times. The officers — current and former members and recruits of the Torrance Police Department in Los Angeles County — traded hateful comments about people of color, particularly Black people, as well as Jews and members of the LGBTQ community. Other messages, the Times found, spoke about using violence against suspects and lying to investigators about a police shooting.