This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom 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.
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
-
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility. -
UCLA and University of California leaders are fighting Trump’s demands for a $1.2 billion settlement over a litany of accusations, including that the campus permits antisemitism.
Best of LAist
