Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, At least 5 people shot near San Pedro beach, Safety concerns and weather conditions hamper San Bernardino County relief efforts, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Californias snowpack is approaching an all-time record, with more on the way, This is me, this is my face: Actress Mimi Rogers on aging naturally, without cosmetic surgery, Officials unprepared for epic mountain blizzard, leaving many trapped and desperate. In May, Dalvin Price was beaten by three deputies, and in JuneAndres Guardado, 18, was killed after being shot five times in the back. Uncategorized . Once we do, counsel will review and we can respond appropriately, a spokesman said. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar . Orrego says Aldama pulled over and that as he stepped out of the vehicle, Taylor pulled out a gun and ran. The skeleton holds a rifle marked with the Roman numeral for 28, surrounded by flames. Two deputies who said they were assaulted and knocked unconscious are among those facing discipline for policy violations that include failing to report the Kennedy Hall incident to superiors, their attorney Vincent Miller said. During a video deposition, Deputy Art Gonzalez testified that 15 deputies at the Compton Sheriff's Station belong to 'The Executioners.'. [1][2] In July 2021, U.S. Congressional Representative Maxine Waters called for a Department of Justice inquiry into the existence of the gang. Compton Executioners sheriff gang lied about guns and hosted inking parties, deputy says. The following month, Vega and Hernandez were suspended from the Department for crashing their vehicle with Jesus Alegria in the back. Tattoo; Membership; References; Members of the 'Executioners' are deputies operating out of the Compton station of the LASD. He alleged that one of the deputies rammed the end of a police baton into his eye socket, which caused permanent damage, and that he was kicked in the back of the head. Waldie informed Captain Thatcher about the gangs antics, and Juarez was transferred to the City of Industry Station. The Sheriffs Department said in a statement that it had not yet received the transcript of Gonzalezs testimony. Thats because the call-out is based on a lie. They then began to punch and kick him repeatedly. According to the complaint, deputies on scene stated they were looking for a gun. The deputy didnt actually see a gun, but his suspect could turn out to be armed and an arrest or recovered firearm could pad his reputation. Please exercise self-care and check in with yourself before choosing to read. Alegria told the deputies to leave the youth alone. A District Attorneys report states that the deputies spotted 31-year-old Donta Taylor walking on Wilmington Avenue near Brazil Street around 8:26 PM. Instead, he says, they served a search warrant on her home in retaliation. By "deputy gangs," Ometeotl appeared to refer to 'the Executioners,' a gang of deputies reportedly at the Compton station of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Gonzalez alleged that Compton station deputies "become inked as 'Executioners' after executing members of the public, or otherwise committing acts of violence in furtherance of the gang." 1. new covid vaccines in the pipeline . Members become inked as Executioners after executing members of the public, or otherwise committing acts of violence in furtherance of the gang.. According to Gonzalezs complaint, Contreras bullied deputies in an attempt to raise his standing with the gang. "This created an emergent public safety issue as gang prospects, hoping to get into the gang, would have been incentivized to engage in a beating or killing to gain gang prestige, when the situation may have otherwise been de-escalated to avoid violence.". The district attorneys office declined to file charges. Gonzalez testified that he feared for his safety from the clique. Black people and women are not allowed to join. 38 was a nod to his first gun; Orregos said his tattoo, which was covered up, was never numbered and he got it in solidarity with Aldama, his friend who had cancer; and Deputy Rogelio Benzors tattoo has a No. In February 2020, Contreras was working as a Field Training Officer. The following day, Locketts mother filed a citizens complaint against Aldama and Orrego for using unconstitutional excessive force. The county has denied the allegations. Juarez took this as an opportunity to control the operation of the station. Of 100 patrol deputies in Compton Station, 40 are alleged to be affiliated with the gang. Deputy Eugene Contreras returned to the Compton Station in 2020 after a temporary assignment in the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB). In 2019, for example, the county paid out $7 million to settle a wrongful death claim filed by the family of a man shot and killed by a deputy with an Executioners tattoo. The next day, two investigators came to the station unannounced and requested to speak with Gonzalez at the front desk. The solution, as city leaders saw it, was to hire the Sheriffs Department to patrol the streets, a move advertised as a way to have more sophisticated policing that would save the city $7 million a year out of its $20-million budget for policing costs. It said one of the gangs, The Executioners, which operated in Compton, held celebrations at bars after officers shot somebody. Donta Taylor, it was night in a desolate, backwashed section of Compton and death sealed his lips. And then at the end when their containments are set up, you know, the gun is never recovered. She graduated from Vassar College. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). Fox News Flash top headlines are here. In July 2021, U.S. Congressional Representative Maxine Waters called for a Department of Justice inquiry into the existence of the gang.. Members of the 'Executioners' are deputies operating out of the Compton station of the LASD. Juarez did not respond to a request for comment. Details about the Compton clique were first revealed in a civil case brought by the family of Donta Taylor, a 31-year-old man who was shot and killed when deputies opened fire during a foot chase in 2016. He remained in custody for about seven months. The Banditos are linked to the East Los Angeles station, while the Executioners, according to Huntsman's letter, are "a deputy gang based out of the Sheriff's Department's Compton Station." Alvin Chong complaint Alegria filed against the County. After Gonzalez made his report, graffiti appeared at the station calling him a rat. Several local government officials issued statements on the shooting. Black and female deputies are not allowed in the clique, the claim says. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and decorated LASD deputy alleges that the Compton patrol station is run by a deputy gang known as the "Executioners."Full story:. The letters CPT, for Compton, appear on the helmet. Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls, The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape. Alegria walked away and said that a family unloading groceries from their car gave him water and let him call his father. Department officials stated at the time that the hold could last months to years, depending on the investigation and the agency. An independent report concluded Guardado had been shot five times in the back. A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy associated with the gang-like group of deputies with matching tattoos from Compton station testified that he has attended about seven so-called inking . Tattooed in Ho Chi Minh City. The description of the suspect was minimal: a Black person in a blue beanie driving a Silver Pontiac. County sheriff's deputy photographed as part of an excessive-force lawsuit. . Gonzalez says he was forced to take paid family leave. Despite the fact that it was impossible for Lockett to have committed the shooting, deputies brought a victim of the driveby to where Lockett had been detained. He requested a transfer to another station and met with the investigators who visited the station again. He said in his deposition that he was relieved of duty for the off-duty incident but that the allegation was unfounded and he was not disciplined. This is an atomic bomb that has been dropped on law enforcement, John Sweeney, an attorney who represented Taylors family, said of Gonzalezs claim. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The powerful position, which Juarez had previously held, controls scheduling, days off and overtime, Gonzalez said. Deputies claimed Taylor had a handgun, but no weapon was found. Why are people treating me this way? When he sees a police officer in the rearview mirror he gets frightened, starts sweating. Sweeney believes the search was the result of the Departments desperation to make a case against Lockett. Following The Times reporting, Compton officials issued formal requests to the state and federal attorney generals to investigate allegations of pervasive civil rights violations. The proceeding was intended to be a judicial examination of the incident. According to the claim, as reported by witnessLA in July, the Executioners operate at the Compton station -CPT, for short "with impunity," its members using violence, threats, and retaliation against other deputies, . Alegria says that the deputies did not radio in about the chase. After finishing his shift and clocking out around noon on January 15, he decided to visit his godmothers house in the Compton area. There are 30 alleged members of the Executioners operating from the Compton station. The deputies stated in a report that they stopped Taylor because he was wearing a red hat with the letter C on it, which they believed symbolized the Cedar Bloc Piru gang. Gonzalez believes that Battles was punished for their association with each other. Deputies continued to receive their full salaries for completing little-to-no work. Waters seeks federal probe of L.A. County deputies' alleged Executioners gang", "The Executioners: Does a Violent Deputy Gang Rule LA County's Compton Station? [3], Members of the Executioners are deputies operating out of the Compton station of the LASD. The county settled the case with Taylor's family for $7 million. County attorneys have argued that Gonzalezs testimony about the Executioners was nothing more than speculation and conjecture, as hes not in the group and has no personal knowledge about it. follow. The family retained Sweeney for the case. The most recent inking event Juarez said he was present for was a year and a half or two years ago. Deputies were heavily criticized in 2005 after firing about 120 rounds at a moving vehicle driven by an unarmed man, who was shot four times. Twenty-five years from now, youre watching the news and some smart law student from Stanford in the Innocence Project [comes out with] Sheldon Lockett comes with gray hair and a beard. He tells Knock LA that Lockett is in horrible condition today and suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. pic.twitter.com/Mj4FZcUsRL, Gonzalez attended a press conference organized by the National Lawyers Guild in response to the treatment of protesters on September 11, 2020. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The complaint was never investigated. Furthermore, Gonzalez claims the punishment was served to him by the Executioners, a group of deputies with the same tattoos, which are a powerful force at the Compton station, the LA Times reports. It was a photo of graffiti scrawled on a dial pad at the stations parking lot entrance: ART IS A RAT, it read. He was investigated by Los Angeles police in 2012 on an allegation of sexual misconduct. All rights reserved. Barragan said in response that tattooed Executioner Contreras would also be on the day shift with Gonzalez, who took that to mean he would be harassed by the gang at work. However, Bautista was loaned out to DB and used a pencil holder, mouse, and mousepad adorned with the Executioners logo. Part of A Tradition of Violence, an extensive investigation into more than five decades of abuse, terror, and murder carried out by gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. On July 3, 2019, deputies chased a vehicle owned by rapper YG through Compton. We have a booking line. [4] He added later: So we call it ink chasers because theyre out there trying to show the rest of the members, the rest of the inked members that, you know, theyre worthy of that tattoo.. Were going to call it, and a gun was never recovered.. They knew that he wasnt the right person The superiors always protect their rank and file. [8], Members of the Executioners are drawn from deputies who work at the Compton station of the LASD. In a statement later, Villanueva said he ordered an investigation. But he denied that gangs exist within the Sheriffs Department. But Waldie was later overruled and Juarez returned to Compton. But Sheldon Lockett had witnesses and he lived to tell the story, Sweeney says. When he reported another deputy to Internal Affairs for assaulting a colleague behind the station, the phrase "ART IS A RAT" was scrawled on the keypad to the station's parking lot entrance, the claim says. Gonzalez accepted the transfer to DB and saw it as an opportunity to get away from the gang. Vega drove the car quickly through a narrow alley but there was a car parked next to a concrete wall and he crashed the patrol vehicle, smashing Alegrias head into the case divider. As they drove, the deputies spotted a group of teenagers on bikes. Aldama said in a deposition that about twenty other deputies at the Compton station had the same tattoo. WitnessLA reports that the Executioners were founded by former 2000 Boy Andy Toone, who appears to no longer be working at the Compton Station. Her decision essentially means the Sheriffs Departments account of Guardados death will be the official version until and unless its revisited during a trial. The cop house cliques were first brought to light in a civil case brought by the family of Donta Taylor, a 31-year-old man who was fatally gunned down during a foot . While Aldama never used the word "Executioners," or explicitly admitted affiliation, he claimed that about 20 other deputies at Compton had the same tattoo, according to the lawsuit. Their attorneys said Wednesday that those allegations are false. He filed a legal claim against the county in June alleging retaliation. "Skeletons, which is a symbol of death, there were flames coming out of . He came within a fraction of an inch of being one of those statistics, Sweeney says. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. You know, theyll call it a day and say, Thank you for rolling. For decades, a subculture of matching tattoos has been rooted in the Sheriffs Department, where secret societies have been accused of glorifying an aggressive style of policing. Barragan authorized the use of temporary FTOs following the meeting, and Juarez was given the position. Sweeney says that both deputies arrest records show they detained Black people at a disproportionately higher rate than other groups. Its the kind of behavior that plays out regularly at the station, according to a whistleblower who worked there for five years and recounted other sensational allegations in a recent deposition obtained by The Times in a federal civil rights lawsuit. There has been an uptick just in the last 15 years of these police shootings. LAPD 'SWAT MAFIA' ENCOURAGED DEADLY FORCE AND RETALIATION, OFFICER'S LAWSUIT CLAIMS, A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy alleges a claim in the department's Compton station called the Executioners retaliated against him for reporting misconduct. The deputies told different versions of what happened next. Sweeneys firm brought another excessive-force case involving the same deputies in the Taylor case, which is pending in federal court. When Gonzalez complained to his supervisor, Lieutenant Ruiz, he told Gonzalez that he could make another complaint to IAB. [2][5][6] The gang was founded by former 2000 Boys member Andy Toone. Deputy Vega does not have one single tattoo on his body, much less a deputy gang tattoo, his attorney Adam Marangell said. Vega and Hernandez approached Alegria, grabbed him by the wrist, and threw him in the back of their patrol car. LASD personnel claimed that occupants of the vehicle had an AK-47, which was never recovered. Elizabeth Gibbons, an attorney representing Juarez, denied the allegations against him on Friday but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing Sheriffs Department investigation. "The results of the investigation will be released when legally permissible.". In June, a claim filed by Deputy Sheriff Austreberto Gonzalez against Los Angeles County said that a gang which calls itself the Executioners consists of a fifth of the 100 deputies at the Compton Station (CPT). The Los Angeles County sheriff's Compton patrol station "has been permeated" by a violent deputy gang called the "Executioners," according to a new legal claim. Inspector General Max Huntsman said Thursday that he is aware of no implementation whatsoever of the policy and that his office cant effectively investigate the secret societies because of the obstruction of the Sheriffs Department. He said the criminal investigation of Banditos members who were allegedly involved in an off-duty beating in 2018 amounted to a cover-up, noting that more than 20 deputies were not required to give statements. The gang celebrates deputy shootings and threatens work slowdowns when given unpreferred assignments, according to the claim. He did not say which business made the request. UPDATE: came to speak with the manager. Xonya Ho Chi Minh City. The county had argued that Locketts attorneys failed to produce evidence that there was a clique and show that the county knew about it. Gonzalez filed a claim against Los Angeles County in June that alleged that roughly a fifth of the 100 deputies at the Compton Station (CPT) are part of the gang. Walsh said three Compton deputies, including Aldama and Orrego, have denied in other court proceedings that they were part of a clique and attributed their matching tattoos to serendipity.. Thus, it would seem impossible for a plaintiff to find tangible evidence to prove that the officers were lying when they denied the existence of their group.. Chelsea Kai Roesch. The Executioners have the symbol, the Jump Out Boys have the symbol, and several other people have the symbol, which is a skeleton, a symbol of death.. Representatives Maxine Waters and Nanette Diaz Barragn released a joint statement calling on then California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to independently investigate Guardados killing. Mapping Deputy Gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. And instead of being prosecuted, what happened? Many work at night, the claim says, and communicate through WhatsApp. When he returned, he told Operations Lieutenant Ruiz that he had been the one who made the complaint and wished to remain anonymous. Lucas said in a statement, I believe that government can do its part by being more timely and more transparent in sharing information that the public demands and has a right to see. He ruled Guardados death a homicide. Sweeney says that an expert tattoo artist testified the design appears to come from a stencil. These deputies share a tattoo, which features a skeleton . On January 20, 2016, Lockett was charged with attempted murder. His screensaver showed a black and white photo of a Sheriffs Department vehicle surrounded by people who appear to be detained. He attended Los Angeles Trade Technical College and worked two part-time jobs. Juraez refused to accommodate Gonzalezs request and placed him on an early morning shift that he could not complete without abandoning the needs of his child. [3] Those who dont comply with the gangs way of doing business receive non-preferential assignments. Alegria begged the deputies to let him leave, and Vega told him to, Get the fuck out of here.. Deputy Gang within the Los Angeles Sherrif's Department, "Rep. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar structure, Gonzalez testified. He saidhe also represents three other deputies who've made similar allegations of abuse and discrimination by the clique. Their focus is not the station, their focus is not the department, and their focus is not their job. Los Angeles County settled with Taylor's family for $7million The cliques were first brought to light in a civil case brought by the family of Donta Taylor, a 31-year-old man who was fatally gunned down during a foot chase in 2016. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. Legal Statement. Romero alleges that the same image was found on a mouse pad and pencil holder at the station desk of someone belonging to the Executioners. It's probably pretty clear that a prisoner with a hooded executioner tattoo has murdered someone, but it's actually worse than that. A WHISTLEBLOWER cop has claimed that his LA police department has been taken over by a gang known as the 'Executioners' - who bear Nazi tattoos and make illegal arrests. Gonzalez was approached by Alcala who informed him that, [The Executioners] are saying that it was you who called IA.. The "Executioners" network, according to a report on July 30 in the Los Angeles Times, is composed of sworn law enforcement officers who all have matching tattoos featuring "a skull with . Monthly arrests per deputy more than doubled and that captain was eventually promoted, he said. During his time away from the station, Alcala texted him a photo of graffiti in a very visible place in the Station which read: ART IS A RAT. Gonzalez also spoke with Captain LaTonya Clark about the gang and his fear of retribution. In response, Juarez and the Executioners implemented a work slowdown. In 2016, Gonzalez attempted to get time off of work in order to care for his daughter. About 15 to 20 deputies are Executioners, he said, and at least a handful more are prospective members who are "chasing ink." He said "it's the word out" that only two deputies are inked each year women and Black people aren't allowed. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama was forced to reveal his tattoo during a deposition about the Taylor case. Vega fired his weapon at Guardado six times, striking him five times in the back. Sheldon Lockett lived in the Harbor City neighborhood of Los Angeles. In 2019, for example, the county paid out $7 million to settle a wrongful death claim filed by the family of a man shot and killed by a deputy with an Executioners tattoo. The Los Angeles Times reported details about the clique that were first revealed in a case brought by the family of Donta Taylor. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama was forced to reveal his tattoo during a deposition about the Taylor case. Barragan also told Gonzalez that, there are two ways to do this, you can voluntarily not take trainees and the other way is we start documenting, which Gonzalez understood to mean that unless he accepted the demotion, Barragan would start the process of documenting Gonzalez for discipline, setting him up to be fired. After a shooting, members will have a party at a bar and call it a 998 debrief, referencing the code for a deputy-involved shooting. Aldama said he was one of as many as 20 deputies selected to get the same tattoo after working hard by making arrests and answering calls. Maya Lau is a former investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times, where she focused on rapid-response investigations into the chaos inside the USPS, problems with signature verification on ballots and challenges of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Between March and April 2020, Gonzalez says Barragan called him and said that he was going to be placed on the early morning shift. When Gonzalez complained to Scheduling and Training Sergeant Lopez about the situation, Lopez informed him that he would support Juarez. The claim says the group sporting tattoos of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47 .
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