Arrr! The sheriff of Los Angeles County be claimin' that the sight of a scallywag officer bein' rough with a lass be truly disheartenin'!
2023-07-06
Arrr, me hearties! The Los Angeles County sheriff be investigatin' two deputies, mateys! A wee video be discovered, showin' one o' them deputies bein' a bit too enthusiastic 'bout takin' down a lass who be recordin' her husband's arrest. Avast!
The Los Angeles County sheriff has acknowledged that a video showing a deputy violently tackling a woman and pepper-spraying her in the face is "disturbing." The incident took place on June 24 in Lancaster and follows other cases of alleged excessive use of force by the department's deputies. The sheriff, Robert Luna, has promised to reform the department since taking over in December. Both officers involved have been pulled off field duty and could face disciplinary action. Luna stated that he did not learn about the incident until six days after it occurred. The department released footage from the deputies' body-worn cameras on Monday, along with bystander footage that had spread on social media. The Los Angeles County sheriff's department has opened an investigation into the use of force by the deputies, notifying the county's Civilian Oversight Commission and federal monitors overseeing reforms agreed upon in 2015. The couple involved in the incident matched the descriptions of robbers targeting a grocery store in Lancaster. The video shows the man being handcuffed while the woman films the encounter, before the deputy tackles her to the ground and pepper-sprays her. Luna stated that the deputies were responding to a robbery in progress and that both individuals appeared to be involved in the confrontation. The woman was treated at a hospital for injuries, while the man was arrested and cited for various charges. The attorney representing the deputy who tackled the woman stated that she was taken to the ground due to her resistance. The previous sheriff, Alex Villanueva, faced accusations of deputy gangs and resisted efforts to address the issue. The department only recently equipped deputies with body-worn cameras, lagging behind other police agencies in the area.