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. "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. The existence of such fraternities has sparked multiple internal investigations and recently a federal probe by the FBI, but the groups have remained entrenched, with many civil liberties advocates accusing the Sheriffs Department of turning a blind eye. They did nothing, Locketts attorney John Sweeney said during a hearing this week. Lockett was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and other gun charges and spent eight months in jail. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Sweeney says Taylor ran out of fear. 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. He sued in 2018. 1. new covid vaccines in the pipeline . Members of the Banditos can be identified by their signature tattoos of a skeleton wearing a sombrero . Were going to call it, and a gun was never recovered.. I could see the look on their faces, theyre looking at us like we were trash, like we were the enemy.. Alegria says that the deputies did not radio in about the chase. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama speaks at a deposition where he reveals his tattoo associated with the Executioners. The attack was also allegedly done to raise the reputation of the gang. In May, Dalvin Price was beaten by three deputies, and in JuneAndres Guardado, 18, was killed after being shot five times in the back. No gun was ever recovered. Nhi.Ink Ho Chi Minh City. There are 30 alleged members of the Executioners operating from the Compton station. It's probably pretty clear that a prisoner with a hooded executioner tattoo has murdered someone, but it's actually worse than that. The Executioners have cost the County of Los Angeles at least $7 million, and the tab and body count continue to grow. In July 2021, U.S. Congressional Representative Maxine Waters called for a Department of Justice inquiry into the existence of the gang. Knock LA is a nonprofit community journalism project, originally conceived by Ground Game LA. When Gonzalez returned from his time off he was approached by Scheduling Sergeant Frank Barragan, who reprimanded him for using paid family leave to care for his daughter. This Los Angelesrelated article is a stub. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). He claims the members ink themselves with tattoos featuringNazi imagery, a laughing skeleton and an AK-47. Deputy Jaime Juarez, the so-called shot caller who succeeded Toone as commander of the Executioners, was then the Training and Scheduling Deputy. Tattooed in Ho Chi Minh City. They chased him until they found him hiding in a backyard, where Lockett says he surrendered. After Gonzalez made his report, graffiti appeared at the station calling him a rat. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. On Tuesday, the department said itlaunched "multiple investigations" into the matter. Deputies that day pulled up to Lockett outside his godmothers home and jumped out of their car with their guns drawn because they said he matched the description of a shooting suspect. This was nothing more than a sport kill and an attempt to getting into this gang. Gonzalez says the scheme is employed in Compton by tattooed deputies who call themselves the Executioners, the clandestine gang many say runs the station. nbcsn spectrum channel raleigh nc; daniel cusimano disney; ronnie lott age. I call that a gang. Rand Corp., a nonprofit research agency, has also been studying the clique culture and plans to publish its report in January. The Executioners maintain control of the Compton Station by instituting work slowdowns in response to policies they dont like. He noted that heremoved the entire leadershipofthe East Los Angeles station when he was confronted with allegations abouta group of deputies in a similar clique after taking office in 2018. His first trainee was Deputy David Battles, who completed his training period with Gonzalez in January 2020. One person was hit in the shooting and a radio call went out for an attempted murder. Between March and April 2020, Gonzalez says Barragan called him and said that he was going to be placed on the early morning shift. 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. The most recent inking event Juarez said he was present for was a year and a half or two years ago. 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. Austreberto Art Gonzalez started working for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department in 2007. Gonzalez accepted the transfer to DB and saw it as an opportunity to get away from the gang. 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. Members each have a tattoo of a skeleton wearing a Nazi helmet emblazoned with the letters CPT. A few weeks after the implementation of the policy, Lieutenant John Wargo held a briefing and told deputies their arrest statistics were too low. Black and females deputies are not allowed to join, the claim said. The county has denied allegations that the deputies beat the plaintiff, Sheldon Lockett, or used racial slurs against him during the incident in 2016. Contreras was placed on the list for promotion to the rank of Sergeant. They know it was you, Gonzalez recalled being told. Elizabeth Gibbons, an attorney representing Juarez, denied the allegations against him on Friday but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing Sheriffs Department investigation. Vega and Hernandez approached Alegria, grabbed him by the wrist, and threw him in the back of their patrol car. "This . In 2009, a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot in the back by a Compton station deputy, who claimed the boy pointed a gun at him. After finishing his shift and clocking out around noon on January 15, he decided to visit his godmothers house in the Compton area. On October 25, 2019, Deputy Gonzalez was promoted to Field Training Officer. 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. A custom mouse and mousepad in the regalia of the Compton Executioners sheriff's deputy gang. Obviously, these rogue officers are not going to simply admit that they had formed an unlawful group bent on assaulting minorities, the judge wrote. A gang of sheriff's deputies called the "Executioners, has "permeated" a Los AngelesCounty Sheriff's Department patrol station and has engaged in civil rights abuses against the public, according to a claim filed with county officials last week. 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. LA police station 'taken over by "Executioners" gang with Nazi tattoos who make illegal arrests', whistleblower cop says Mollie Mansfield Published : 22:37, 4 Aug 2020 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. 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. 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. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The Sheriffs Department said in a statement that it had not yet received the transcript of Gonzalezs testimony. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar . 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.. Why are people treating me this way? The tattoos are allegedly awarded for killing a civilian, and given out at parties. [8], Members of the Executioners are drawn from deputies who work at the Compton station of the LASD. LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas also called for an independent investigation. The deputies pulled out their guns and chased him. About 15 to 20 deputies are Executioners, he said, and at least a handful more are prospective members who are chasing ink. He said its the word out that only two deputies are inked each year women and Black people arent allowed. 20. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The allegations come as the Compton station faces criticism over several high-profile incidents. Share share. Retired Court of Appeals Judge Candace Cooper found that she felt it wasnt necessary to call more witnesses and obtain more evidence, concluding the matter. suzette malveaux married; centros de mesa con flores artificiales; housing in naples, italy 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. 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. However, Gonzalez states that he learned the Executioners had infiltrated IAB. He ran just like Sheldon Lockett ran. 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. 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, . On January 20, 2016, Lockett was charged with attempted murder. Many work at night, the claim says, and communicate through WhatsApp. Andrs Guardado, 18. Recruits are reportedly chosen for the gang based on their propensity for violence against members of the community. [2][5][6] The gang was founded by former 2000 Boys member Andy Toone. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Before joining the department, he served in the Marine Corps. Deputies with alleged ties to these cliques, which are accused of using violent and aggressive tactics similar to those of criminal street gangs, have cost taxpayers $55 million in settlements and payouts in incidents that date to the 1990s, according to county records obtained by The Times. The depositions of those three deputies are under seal, but Locketts attorney Steven Glickman argued during a court hearing Thursday that their tattoos are numbered. We have a booking line. 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. Xonya Ho Chi Minh City. n which members are accused of misconduct. And you can quote me on that.. Now, Locketts attorneys are citing Gonzalezs claim in a court filing seeking to reopen discovery, depose several deputies again and examine their WhatsApp accounts. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama speaks at a deposition where he reveals his tattoo associated with the Executioners. His allegations add to a growing body of information about the Compton clique, one of several tattooed deputy groups within the Sheriffs Department with names such as the Grim Reapers, Banditos and Jump Out Boys. The claim says the group sporting tattoos of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47 . There were inking parties and celebrations.. One slowdown occurred in 2019 when shot caller Juarez confronted Station Lieutenant Larry Waldie Jr. and demanded that Waldie replace the current Training and Scheduling Deputy with Executioner Deputy Anthony Bautista. . Alegria told the Times that every 10 minutes a deputy would come ask if he needed medical attention. [4] Knock LA has reported that the gang consists of around 80 members. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. They knew that a gang existed. "The results of the investigation will be released when legally permissible.". A tattoo on an LA. hand hewn brimstone meaning; assetto corsa monaco formula e; denny's chicken biscuit and gravy bowl carbs. Gonzalez said hed never been invited to nor attended one. They encircled us and basically trapped us in there, says Gonzalez. Orrego says Aldama pulled over and that as he stepped out of the vehicle, Taylor pulled out a gun and ran. Inking refers to the act of each newly made member of The Executioners receiving a matching tattoo indicating membership in the organization. Mapping Deputy Gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 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. 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. In February 2020, Contreras was working as a Field Training Officer. Gonzalez did not think that was a viable option. Fox News Flash top headlines for August 3. 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. . Grim Reapers, Banditos and Jump Out Boys. Waldie told Juarez that he would not be intimidated by the gang. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. Gonzalez refused because the schedule wouldnt allow him to take care of his daughter. This is an atomic bomb that has been dropped on law enforcement, John Sweeney, an attorney who represented Taylors family, said of Gonzalezs claim. Gonzalez says this placed him further at risk because the entire station now knew the investigators were there. Deputies refused to partner with him, while an inked deputy in dispatch saddled him with calls. On that basis, Lockett was arrested and taken into custody. Elisa and Cristobal Guardado fled violence in El Salvador stemming from the Salvadoran Civil War and raised a family in the city. Vega accelerated towards them as they scattered. Almost all the members sport a matching tattoo to . Deputies claimed he had a weapon but none were recovered. The County alleges that the victim positively identified Lockett as the shooter. All they had to do was investigate to see that these officers were untruthful. Sweeney discovered Locketts case in the course of investigating this fatal shooting. I think they wanted to sweep it under the rug and didnt want there to be political fallout from Sheriff McDonell, who was running for office re-election, says Sweeney. "Skeletons, which is a symbol of death, there were flames coming out of . These deputies share a tattoo, which features a skeleton . This is five years post arrest, he still has those same unabated symptoms.. According to a complaint Alegria filed against the County, Vega and Hernandez began bullying and harassing young people gathered around the park. Their 18-year-old son Andrs, a recent high school graduate, was studying at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. The powerful position, which Juarez had previously held, controls scheduling, days off and overtime, Gonzalez said. The tattoos feature a skull, Nazi images and an AK-47. Alegria walked away and said that a family unloading groceries from their car gave him water and let him call his father. Deputy Gang within the Los Angeles Sherrif's Department, "Rep. This article about a criminal organization is a stub. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Members communicate exclusively through the encrypted message service WhatsApp. (Court documents) With only days before trial was scheduled to start, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Thursday dismissed a high-profile whistleblower case that could have spilled out in court the secretive conduct of an alleged violent gang of sheriff's deputies at the Compton Station . On June 18, 2020, at 5:53 PM, Guardado was standing outside of the body shop talking to two people parked in a white Lexus. Deputy Vega does not have one single tattoo on his body, much less a deputy gang tattoo, his attorney Adam Marangell said. Gonzalez and Deputies Jonathan Alcala and Gabriel Guzman complained about the illegal arrest quotas to Acting Watch Commander Sergeant Andy Leos, who admitted that deputies who didnt comply were being retaliated against. The deputies in pursuit shot at the vehicle, killing 65-year-old Rick Starks. The following month, Vega and Hernandez were suspended from the Department for crashing their vehicle with Jesus Alegria in the back. Gonzalez states in his claim that during this time he was partnered with Deputy Iliana Vargas, who was Juarezs girlfriend. The Times has requested arrest records from the Compton station to determine whether such a slowdown occurred. In a Facebook video last week, Sheriff Alex Villanueva denied a gang of deputies were running the Compton station when asked specifically about the Executioners. Deputies claimed Taylor had a handgun, but no weapon was found. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama was forced to reveal his tattoo during a deposition about the Taylor case. April Tardy said, using a term often used to describe top leaders in prisons and gangs. On April 13, 23-year-old Jesus Alegria was at Wilson Park skateboarding when Deputies Miguel Vega and Christopher Hernandez drove up in a patrol vehicle. 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. Captain Clark told him he could immediately start working at the East LA Station, home to the Banditos gang. Taylor, 31, was fatally shot by deputies during a 2016 foot chase. The complaint was never investigated. The proceeding was intended to be a judicial examination of the incident. Theres a psychological phenomenon where your life is being threatened, you either fight or you run. They are accused of acting against their fellow deputies and the people to better their own standing in the organization. However, Bautista was loaned out to DB and used a pencil holder, mouse, and mousepad adorned with the Executioners logo. Potential recruits are chosen based on past acts of violence against members of the Compton community and recruits cannot be Black or female.[2]. He saidhe also represents three other deputies who've made similar allegations of abuse and discrimination by the clique. Market data provided by Factset. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Gonzalez was approached by Alcala who informed him that, [The Executioners] are saying that it was you who called IA.. The Sheriff's Department said the FBI is now involved"Deputy Vega does not have one single tattoo on his body, much less a deputy gang tattoo," his attorney Adam Marangell said. 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." Illegal quotas resulted in deputies more than doubling their arrest numbers each month, which meant the violation of the civil rights of hundreds of residents, the claim states. follow. . In 2017, Gonzalez said, the Compton station captain at the time had turned to that deputy to boost arrest statistics after the captain was reprimanded for low numbers at the station. As pictured below, the Executioner's tattoo depicts a skull wearing a Nazi helmet with "CPT" on front and a rifle encircled by flames. A violent gang of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies who call themselves "The Executioners" control a patrol station in Compton through force, threats, work slowdowns and acts of revenge . When asked why the deputies targeted his client, Sweeney says, They were chasing ink and any n***** would do. In their depositions, Glickman said Aldama testified that his tattoos No. Several local government officials issued statements on the shooting. By the summer of 2020, the Executioners had thoroughly taken over the Compton Station, according to a deputy who attempted to whistleblow. Even so, he says, Aldama punched him in the head five times while using the N-word. All rights reserved. However, the two Sheriffs Homicide Detectives investigating Guardados death appeared at the inquest but refused to answer questions, citing their Fifth Amendment rights. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama speaks at a deposition where he reveals his tattoo associated with the Executioners. "Deputy Vega does not have one single tattoo on his body, much less a deputy gang tattoo," his attorney Adam Marangell said. The charges against Alegria were dropped at a preliminary hearing. Their focus is not the station, their focus is not the department, and their focus is not their job. Orrego and Aldama came rolling up like cowboys at a high rate of speed, threw their doors open before the car stopped, which is customary for these deputies out there to intimidate, pointing guns at them, Sweeney says. "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 Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has embraced deputy gang culture for the past 50 years. Members become inked as Executioners after executing members of the public, or otherwise committing acts of violence in furtherance of the gang.. He threatened another FTO, Deputy Thomas Banuelos, which escalated into Contreras assaulting Banuelos while on duty. They beat up other people, he said. He added the department has gone through great lengths to rid itself of similar groups. In their report, they claimed that a large crowd of 15-20 people gathered around an erratic Alegria. 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. About one month into Locketts wrongful incarceration, deputies searched the home of his mother and her husband. The deputies account of the incident is inconsistent at best. Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Best coffee city in the world? They broke all the cameras and took the DVR, which they pulled a warrant for after the fact. Thatcher called a meeting with deputies to tell them he was happy with the results of his illegal policy. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar structure, Gonzalez testified. The "Executioners" is made up of about 20 deputies with another 20 prospects or associates, according to the claim. They then began to punch and kick him repeatedly. In 2016, Gonzalez attempted to get time off of work in order to care for his daughter. October 21, 2021. In June 2020, TMZ captured three Compton deputies severely beating a man. Market data provided by Factset. Lockett alleges he was targeted by deputies chasing ink when he was beaten and falsely arrested for attempted murder in 2016, his attorneys said. But Sheldon Lockett had witnesses and he lived to tell the story, Sweeney says. 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. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). compton executioners tattoo. The commanders knew it, the captain knew, they just didnt do anything about it., Locketts case against the County is still pending. The description of the suspect was minimal: a Black person in a blue beanie driving a Silver Pontiac. The caption of the photo read, Some people worked Compton, others just claimed they did!!!. The revelations were disturbing to observers who watched the department try to implement reforms following a jail abuse and corruption scandal that ultimately led to the convictions of several high-ranking officials including former Sheriff Lee Baca and his undersheriff, Paul Tanaka, who was a tattooed member of the Vikings. When he returned, he told Operations Lieutenant Ruiz that he had been the one who made the complaint and wished to remain anonymous. These deputies share a tattoo, which features a skeleton . Guardado was frightened and fled behind the gate of the property and into an alley. Mary Starks told KCAL9 that her son had been riding his bike to get her cigarettes, as was his custom, when he was killed. 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. The gang's hallmark is a tattoo of a . The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). As Cunningham attempts to exit the barricaded area, a deputy hands his shield to a colleague and grabs Cunningham in what appears to be an attempt to pull him over the barricade. Juarez took this as an opportunity to control the operation of the station. Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. said the cops in the alleged gang each have "tattoos of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47." The claim also . Please exercise self-care and check in with yourself before choosing to read. 3. Why are people treating me this way? I think that I now call them a gang because thats what gangs do. Sheriff Alex Villanueva initially placed an emergency hold on Guardados autopsy report. 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. Alcala was previously slated for a promotion to the Special Assignments Office, but Leos informed the Sergeant in command of the office not to give Alcala the transfer. Gonzalez believes that Battles was punished for their association with each other. peterbilt 379 hood roller bracket. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. Had that been investigated Donta Taylor would still be alive, Sweeney said. 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. The tattoos were given by four or five different artists at different people's homes, he said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC.
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