With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
County Sheriff Investigating Deputy's 'Disturbing' Confrontation In Lancaster
Topline:
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna is promising an "objective" review of a confrontation between a sheriff's deputy, a man and a woman at a grocery store in Lancaster. The confrontation was about an alleged robbery at the store, and both the man and woman were arrested.
What we know: Videos recorded by two deputy-worn body cameras and the smartphones of witnesses show an L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy grabbing the woman, pinning her to the ground, and pepper-spraying her while she was down. Sheriff Robert Luna has seen the footage but says it's not clear what led to the confrontation.
Why it matters: Community members have expressed outrage over the actions of the deputies from the L.A. County Sheriff Department's Lancaster station. In 2015, the department settled federal allegations that deputies in the Antelope Valley engaged in excessive use of force and racial profiling of Blacks and Latinos.
Sponsored message
What's next: The Los Angeles County Inspector General's Office and the State Department of Justice are assisting in the investigation. Both responding deputies have been reassigned from field duty as the investigations continue. Sheriff Luna called the footage "disturbing" and said, "There's a lot to this so I ask for the community's patience to allow us to look at this objectively and figure out exactly what happened." He also asked that anyone who witnessed the confrontation in person, or recorded more video, come forward.
Trending on LAist
-
A slim majority said Senate Bill 79 would take away the city’s control over housing growth. Other council members said the city is failing to confront the crisis. -
Critics say the cash-strapped system misspent millions of dollars getting upgraded accounts for all students. CSU leaders insist they're needed to meet a changing economy. -
A new $5 million grant allows officials to move forward with large scale projects. -
The L.A. City Council raised the minimum wage for tourism workers ahead of the Olympics, kicking off a huge political fight. -
Metropolitan State Hospital opened as a psychiatric facility back in 1916. But many of the buildings have sat vacant for decades. -
Just blocks away from Boyle Heights schools, immigration agents staged an operation in Little Tokyo, heightening concerns among students and parents.
Best of LAist
