Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Video Shows Teen Violently Beaten By Probation Officers At Juvenile Hall
We've known for a while that L.A. County's Juvenile Hall system is in pretty bad shape. Earlier this year, a report put together by the L.A. County Probation Commissioners compared conditions inside the decaying lockup system to that of a 'third world country prison.'
Video obtained by WitnessLA.com from sources inside the Sylmar Juvenile Hall location does little to dispute that claim. The video shows four probation officers beating a single teenaged inmate, apparently unprovoked, while a fifth person, reportedly a jail supervisor, looks on. The beating took place on April 24, 2016 at L.A. County's Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall.
KABC picked up the story, and spoke with Celeste Fremon, WitnessLA's editor. Fremon explained to KABC how Juvenile Hall has been under scrutiny for alleged violence and poor conditions for years. This video simply underscores that point even more.
The video, parts of which can be seen on KABC's site, shows the teenager first inside his cell with the jail supervisor. They exchange words of verbal conflict, the supervisor rolls up his sleeves, then leaves the cell, closing the door behind him. The teenaged inmate throws a large object and a milk carton against the cell's door.
Support for LAist comes from
After a bit later, the supervisor returns, bringing with him three other jail officers. The inmate's body language is relaxed and complicit, but the four officers start violently beating him after just a few seconds. The beating is violent, and protracted for over a minute, during which another probation officer enters the room to, apparently, hold the boy down.
During the beating, another supervisor enters the cell briefly, before leaving again. Then, after about two minutes of abuse, the supervisor who was first talking with the teenager motions to the four officers who were beating the inmate to leave the cell. They all exit.
We're left with a view of the teenager splayed across his cot inside the cell. He attempts to pull up his pants which were removed in the beating, and then tries and fails to stand up. The remainder of the video purportedly shows him, then, just lying on the floor of the jail cell.
WitnessLA reports that once probation authorities learned about the beating, they transferred the teenager to Juvenile Hall's Eastlake Detention Center in Boyle Heights, extended mental health treatment to him, and launched an investigation into the incident.
When KABC reached out to the county's probation department for response, the county's probation chief, Cal Remington, responded:
"We hold our staff to a very high standard. We have zero tolerance for mistreating the juveniles in our care. And while I can't really comment on an ongoing investigation, this matter is being thoroughly investigated, and we take matters of this nature very, very seriously."
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs. -
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
Best of LAist