I think that I now call them a gang because thats what gangs do. John Sweeney, a civil rights attorney who has been practicing in the Los Angeles area for 40 years, says that the Department has continued to get worse. The most recent inking event Juarez said he was present for was a year and a half or two years ago. And, presumably, the clique would not be issuing membership cards, or taking minutes at membership meetings, or doing anything else that normal, lawful organizations do. Barragan told him that as a result he was being demoted from the position of Field Training Officer saying, It would be a disservice to your trainee if you are taking FMLA days off. Gonzalez states he had not used any state-awarded time off on the days he was training the new deputy. They are notorious for these gangs popping up, and they are notorious for violating citizens civil rights., Since at least 2016, a gang of deputy sheriffs called the Executioners have prowled the streets of the City of Compton. I take these allegations very seriously and recently enacted a policy specifically addressing illicit groups, deputy cliques, and subgroups, he said, referring to measures he enacted in February that prohibit deputies from participating in cliques. But sheriffs deputies in Compton were increasingly seen as outsiders and developed a reputation among some locals for aggressive tactics. The tattoos are allegedly awarded for killing a civilian, and given out at parties. . This was nothing more than a sport kill and an attempt to getting into this gang. Each of the wounds had lethal capacity. [8], Members of the Executioners are drawn from deputies who work at the Compton station of the LASD. 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.. In the months after, both deputies committed brutal acts of violence against Black men. Vega had inadvertently trapped himself and was unable to open his door, so the deputy climbed out of the window and onto the hood of the car. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. In August, prosecutors dropped charges because of insufficient evidence and after a witness testified that she was mistaken when she identified him, according to a district attorneys office spokeswoman. A custom mouse and mousepad in the regalia of the Compton Executioners sheriff's deputy gang. One deputy told Gonzalez he didnt want to partner with him out of fear of getting screwed with, he said. [3] In the summer of 2019, deputies who were allegedly part of the Executioners were involved in two incidents that briefly caught the attention of local media. Mary Starks told KCAL9 that her son had been riding his bike to get her cigarettes, as was his custom, when he was killed. 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.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Every deputy is going to come rolling. Aldama continued to chase Lockett into a backyard, where he cornered and severely beat him. A whistleblower from the Compton Station (CPT) of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department claims that more than 20 of 100 active deputies are part of a violent and brutal police gang The Executioners.Deputy Art Gonzalez, a decorated Marine Corps veteran, filed a claim in June claiming that a fraternal police organization had infiltrated CPT. Lockett froze, then ran. 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. These deputies share a tattoo, which features a skeleton . He requested a transfer to another station and met with the investigators who visited the station again. 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. "This was a practice that punished all patrol Deputies that either refused to join the gang or otherwise resisted the gangs far-reaching influence at the Station.". Austreberto Gonzalez, asheriff's deputy and aMarine Corps veteran, worked at the Compton patrol station for five years where the gang wielded outsized influence, according to the claim obtained by Fox News. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar structure, Gonzalez testified. According to a complaint filed against the County, Vega and Hernandez parked their patrol vehicle next to the drivers side of the Lexus and quickly got out. And you can quote me on that.. Deputy Art Gonzalez , who worked in LASD for five years, is the whistleblower who filed a government claim . The "Executioners" is made up of about 20 deputies with another 20 prospects or associates, according to the claim. He ran just like Sheldon Lockett ran. They encircled us and basically trapped us in there, says Gonzalez. 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. The deputies in pursuit shot at the vehicle, killing 65-year-old Rick Starks. On June 21, 2020, about 500 protestors gathered at the intersection of Figueroa Street and West Redondo Beach Boulevard to march to the Compton Sheriff Station. Almost all the members sport a matching tattoo to . According to a complaint Alegria filed against the County, Vega and Hernandez began bullying and harassing young people gathered around the park. [1][2] In July 2021, U.S. Congressional Representative Maxine Waters called for a Department of Justice inquiry into the existence of the gang. 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. Lockett was also tasered and pepper sprayed by other deputies. A top jail official had described exclusive gangs of deputies in Mens Central Jail who would earn their ink by breaking inmates bones. 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. (Google Maps). The officers had matching "Executioners" tattoos to show allegiance to the faction. The county settled the case with Taylor's family for $7 million. He saidhe also represents three other deputies who've made similar allegations of abuse and discrimination by the clique. The allegations have revived long-standing concerns that inked deputy groups with monikers such as the Spartans, Regulators, Grim Reapers and Banditos operate out of several Sheriffs Department stations and represent what many in the community see as criminal gangs within law enforcement. A band of Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies with matching skull tattoos represent what many in the community see as a criminal gang within law enforcement. The family retained Sweeney for the case. 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 proceeding was intended to be a judicial examination of the incident. According to Gonzalezs claim, he and two other deputies complained in 2017 that they were being improperly punished with undesirable assignments for not meeting illegal quotas and were told by a sergeant, Yes, you should have known that by now, according to the claim. However, Bautista was loaned out to DB and used a pencil holder, mouse, and mousepad adorned with the Executioners logo. 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. 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. Aldama said in a deposition that about twenty other deputies at the Compton station had the same tattoo. There are 30 alleged members of the Executioners operating from the Compton station. Hes also the parent of a young daughter with a severe medical condition that requires constant care and attention, which placed him on a special work schedule. Following the meeting, Alcala, Guzman, and Gonzalez were placed on traffic duty. In response, Juarez and the Executioners implemented a work slowdown. Video of this coming pic.twitter.com/CLUDUfCYBO. And [Lockett] ran., Sweeney says that Aldama broadcast to a dispatcher he had seen a man with a gun and asked for the call to be put out on Patch, meaning all deputies could hear. They broke all the cameras and took the DVR, which they pulled a warrant for after the fact. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama speaks at a deposition where he reveals his tattoo associated with the Executioners. Leos allegedly raised his voice and told the deputies, You should have known Do your job, Im trying to save your career. Alcala told Leos that doing his job meant completing service calls for the community. July 4, 2022 compton executioners tattoobritish white cattle for sale in washingtonbritish white cattle for sale in washington Vega fired his weapon at Guardado six times, striking him five times in the back. She came from the Advocate, based in Baton Rouge, La., where she was the lead writer on a team that won an Investigative Reporters and Editors award for stories revealing the financial dealings of the long-serving warden of the notorious Angola Prison. complaint Alegria filed against the County. Attorneys and witnesses gathered outside South LA Station a few days later to speak about the incident. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. In recent years, the claim says, its members were involved in setting illegal arrest quotas and threatening work slowdowns which involve ignoring or responding slowly to calls when they did not get preferred assignments. Two weeks later, Ruiz told him he could leave patrol for an assignment in the Detective Bureau (DB) where he would be responsible for filing cases on behalf of the station at the Compton Courthouse. Grim Reapers, Banditos and Jump Out Boys. 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. In 2017, after Gonzalez returned, Compton Station Captain Michael Thatcher allegedly implemented an illegal arrest quota policy, where deputies were instructed to arrest people for misdemeanors that would not ordinarily result in a citation, let alone arrest. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Vega and Hernandez approached Alegria, grabbed him by the wrist, and threw him in the back of their patrol car. The district attorneys office declined to file charges. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. "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.". According to the complaint, deputies on scene stated they were looking for a gun. One person was hit in the shooting and a radio call went out for an attempted murder. A few weeks after the implementation of the policy, Lieutenant John Wargo held a briefing and told deputies their arrest statistics were too low. He was a talented football player who earned a college scholarship. He was investigated by Los Angeles police in 2012 on an allegation of sexual misconduct. Inking refers to the act of each newly made member of The Executioners receiving a matching tattoo indicating membership in the organization. He added the department has gone through great lengths to rid itself of similar groups. Gonzalez feared violent retribution at the hands of the gang, so he took several days off work. You know, theyll call it a day and say, Thank you for rolling. Deputies Samuel Aldama and Mizrain Orrego stated in court documents that a driveby shooting took place at 910 Spruce Street in Compton, CA, at 3:05 PM. In her prior beat covering the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, she led a team that produced a series revealing how the misconduct of hundreds of deputies had been hidden from judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys for decades, raising questions about whether some defendants received fair trials. There was nobody being arrested. UPDATE: came to speak with the manager. Meanwhile, other deputies, who are members of the Executioners, were given preference for preferred work schedules and assignments, according to the claim. Aldama was transferred to another station, and appears to be working as a deputy today. [2][5][8] The 'CPT' stands for "Compton" and the '28' represents Compton as the LASD's 28th substation. Los Angeles County settled with Taylor's family for $7million Their focus is not the station, their focus is not the department, and their focus is not their job. 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. They then began to punch and kick him repeatedly. Following The Times reporting, Compton officials issued formal requests to the state and federal attorney generals to investigate allegations of pervasive civil rights violations. Deputies claimed Taylor had a handgun, but no weapon was found. When he said that he did, he wasnt given any. The Compton division of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department are under investigation after one deputy blew the whistle on fellow officers who reportedly threw secret parties and got . "This is all taxpayer money, so yes, the taxpayers should be very worried,"John Sweeney, who deposed Aldama and obtained the photo of Aldama's tattoo, told KABC-TV. Gonzalez made what he believed to be a confidential report to the IAB. When his father arrived, Alegria was arrested by another deputy who handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol car. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The description of the suspect was minimal: a Black person in a blue beanie driving a Silver Pontiac. Market data provided by Factset. . The claim says the group sporting tattoos of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47 celebrates deputy shootings and the induction of new members with inking parties.. 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." It said one of the gangs, The Executioners, which operated in Compton, held celebrations at bars after officers shot somebody. Clark informed Gonzalez that investigators from the Office of the Executive wanted to speak with him. Between March and April 2020, Gonzalez says Barragan called him and said that he was going to be placed on the early morning shift. [2][7], Members of the Executioners identify themselves with a calf tattoo depicting a skeleton wearing a Nazi-style helmet labeled "CPT" and holding a Kalashnikov rifle with '28' in Roman numerals on the magazine. The County and the City of Los Angeles has been nicknamed the "Gang Capital of America," with an estimated 450 active gangs with a combined membership of more than 45,000. 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. Several months after Locketts arrest and three weeks after charges were dropped, Aldama and Orrego shot at and killed Donta Taylor, 31, during a foot chase.
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