A former Montebello police chief has filed a whistleblower retaliation suit against the city, alleging the city manager fired him earlier this year for refusing to pressure the police union to accept a contract offered by the administration.

Former Chief Paul Espinosa‘s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for his alleged physical, mental and emotional injuries as well as damage to emotional distress. City Manager Raul Alvarez is named in the pleadings, but not as a defendant. Alvarez did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Thursday.

“As a … result of the city’s retaliation against plaintiff, his reputation and career prospects have