Lockett was also tasered and pepper sprayed by other deputies. or redistributed. Even so, he says, Aldama punched him in the head five times while using the N-word. This is five years post arrest, he still has those same unabated symptoms.. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama speaks at a deposition where he reveals his tattoo associated with the Executioners. 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. 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. He was a talented football player who earned a college scholarship. I think that I now call them a gang because thats what gangs do. They knew that a gang existed. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Sweeney says that an expert tattoo artist testified the design appears to come from a stencil. It essentially controls scheduling, the distribution of informant tips, and assignments to deputies in the station with preference shown to members of the gang as well as prospects.. Attorneys and witnesses gathered outside South LA Station a few days later to speak about the incident. As they drove, the deputies spotted a group of teenagers on bikes. Those who dont comply with the gangs way of doing business receive non-preferential assignments. April Tardy said, using a term often used to describe top leaders in prisons and gangs. compton executioners tattoo. Deputy Vega does not have one single tattoo on his body, much less a deputy gang tattoo, his attorney Adam Marangell said. Black and females deputies are not allowed to join, the claim said. Andrs Guardado, 18. [3] Contents. 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 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. The Los Angeles Times reported details about the clique that were first revealed in a case brought by the family of Donta Taylor. During a video deposition, Deputy Art Gonzalez testified that 15 deputies at the Compton Sheriff's Station belong to 'The Executioners.'. The Sheriffs Department has been aware of the groups for decades but has struggled to crack down, despite repeated internal and independent investigations and instances in which members are accused of misconduct. LA County residents also footed the bill for attorney fees on both sides. Gonzalez believes that Battles was punished for their association with each other. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Tattooed in Ho Chi Minh City. Alegria told the Times that every 10 minutes a deputy would come ask if he needed medical attention. He filed a suit against the County, which is pending. In June 2020, TMZ captured three Compton deputies severely beating a man. In early 2016, he was working at the Superior Grocers in the Crenshaw area. [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. It's probably pretty clear that a prisoner with a hooded executioner tattoo has murdered someone, but it's actually worse than that. Instead, he says, they served a search warrant on her home in retaliation. He sued in 2018. The sheriff's department has long been plagued by allegations of cliques composed of deputies forming what civil rights activistssee as criminal gangs. On Tuesday, the department said itlaunched "multiple investigations" into the matter. The deputies drove with Alegria in the backseat without handcuffs and a seatbelt, in violation of department policy. 3. And instead of being prosecuted, what happened? The logo of the Executioners clique on a mousepad and pencil holder at Compton sheriffs station. When his father arrived, Alegria was arrested by another deputy who handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol car. 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. As pictured below, the Executioner's tattoo depicts a skull wearing a Nazi helmet with "CPT" on front and a rifle encircled by flames. n which members are accused of misconduct. LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas also called for an independent investigation. 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. Deputy Art Gonzalez , who worked in LASD for five years, is the whistleblower who filed a government claim . 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. Membership is estimated at around 80 people. 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. But Sheldon Lockett had witnesses and he lived to tell the story, Sweeney says. 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. Andrs also worked as a security guard for Street Dynamic Auto Body in Gardena. [3] Days after Austreberto Gonzalez anonymously reported a fellow Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy to internal affairs for assaulting a colleague behind the parking lot of the Compton station, a text popped up on his phone. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Xonya Ho Chi Minh City. The proceeding was intended to be a judicial examination of the incident. The allegations come as the Compton station faces criticism over several high-profile incidents. Lieutenant John Satterfield, a spokesman for the department, told the Los Angeles Times that the Sheriffs response team secured the parking lot of a business at the request of a manager. When they arrived, they were greeted by LASD personnel in riot gear. The district attorneys office declined to file charges. Alegria says that the deputies did not radio in about the chase. Deputy Anthony Bautista, who was serving as Watch Deputy, told Gonzalezs partner Deputy Adrian Garcia that, two IA investigators are here to talk to Gonzalez, so get over here. Gonzalez met with the investigators and told them he wanted to remain anonymous due to the threat of violence from the gang. The skeleton holds a rifle marked with the Roman numeral for 28, surrounded by flames. Waldie informed Captain Thatcher about the gangs antics, and Juarez was transferred to the City of Industry Station. Once we do, counsel will review and we can respond appropriately, a spokesman said. "The results of the investigation will be released when legally permissible.". Nearly all the CPT Deputies who have been involved in high-profile shootings and out-of-policy beatings at CPT in recent years have been inked members of The Executioners, the claim alleges. 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. The Guardado family has filed a civil complaint against the County and department, which is pending. 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. This is an atomic bomb that has been dropped on law enforcement, John Sweeney, an attorney who represented Taylors family, said of Gonzalezs claim. I stood with protestwrs holding my press badge. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama speaks at a deposition where he reveals his tattoo associated with the Executioners. He requested a transfer to another station and met with the investigators who visited the station again. UPDATE: came to speak with the manager. Contreras was placed on the list for promotion to the rank of Sergeant. Alegria begged the deputies to let him leave, and Vega told him to, Get the fuck out of here.. Samuel Aldama, a tattooed member of the Executioners, testified under oath that he had ill feelings towards African Americans. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). "Deputy Vega does not have one single tattoo on his body, much less a deputy gang tattoo," his attorney Adam Marangell said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Gonzalez felt threatened and signed a document Barragan had prepared that stated he was voluntarily relinquishing his position as an FTO. His first trainee was Deputy David Battles, who completed his training period with Gonzalez in January 2020. He was taken to the hospital almost one hour later and given stitches. Although the names have changed, these groups all participate in the systematic terrorization of the communities they are sworn to serve and protect. "The net result is that the people in those communities end up being shot and stopped, their houses searched at a much greater rate than people in other communities, and it's all because the deputy gangs view themselves as at war with their community," Kennedy told KABC-TV. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. 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. 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. The tattoos were given by four or five different artists at different people's homes, he said. 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. . However, Gonzalez states that he learned the Executioners had infiltrated IAB. You know, theyll call it a day and say, Thank you for rolling. 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. "We're not going to tolerate any clique, any gang-like group of people, subgroup the only group that is acceptable wearing tan and green are deputy sheriff's serving the community," Villanuevasaid. They broke all the cameras and took the DVR, which they pulled a warrant for after the fact. Violence committed to further the gangs agenda is rewarded with permission to skip shifts. . The Executioners maintain control of the Compton Station by instituting work slowdowns in response to policies they dont like. October 21, 2021. 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. 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. Compton Executioners. 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. Gonzalez says he was forced to take paid family leave. Before joining the department, he served in the Marine Corps. Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. We have a gang here that has grown to the point where it dominates every aspect of life at the Compton station, said Alan Romero, an attorney representing Gonzalez in the claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit. The testimony also establishes that the command staff at the station knew about it and not only did not stop it but it encouraged the behavior and placed its members in positions of authority where they could help other members.. Lockett froze, then ran. The new allegations out of Compton come as the station faces extra scrutiny recently in a number of high-profile uses of force, including the arrest and beating in May of Dalvin Price, who was pinned to the ground and struck by three deputies at Rosecrans and Santa Fe avenues, and the fatal shooting last month in Gardena of Andres Guardado, an 18-year-old who was shot by a deputy five times in the back. Lockett alleges he was targeted by deputies chasing ink when he was beaten and falsely arrested for attempted murder in 2016, his attorneys said. L.A. County settled a lawsuit brought by Taylors family for $7 million. He doesnt trust police officers. The complaint was never investigated. . In their depositions, Glickman said Aldama testified that his tattoos No. We are dedicated to providing independent journalism and telling the real story of LA. Jorge Gonzalez, an attorney for the case, tells Knock LA that he has every reason to believe the deputy gang influenced the actions of the LASD that day. When Gonzalez complained to Scheduling and Training Sergeant Lopez about the situation, Lopez informed him that he would support Juarez. Ortega joined in, and Lockett says that both of the deputies called him a racial slur. Elisa and Cristobal Guardado fled violence in El Salvador stemming from the Salvadoran Civil War and raised a family in the city. 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. She graduated from Vassar College. Instead he submitted a declaration saying that if he was called to testify, he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights and not answer questions. Sweeney says that the LASD never found the person responsible for the driveby that initiated the incident. On February 8, 2020, Banuelos texted Gonzalez and told him about Contreras violent behavior. He requested another week off work out of fear. 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 . They knew that he wasnt the right person The superiors always protect their rank and file. Gonzalez states in his claim that during this time he was partnered with Deputy Iliana Vargas, who was Juarezs girlfriend. 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. [2][5][6] The gang was founded by former 2000 Boys member Andy Toone. follow. The Executioners were behind several violent incidents in the Compton area in 2020. 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. 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. Freelance journalist Vishal P. Singh captured David Cunningham III, a candidate for City Council who was there as a legal observer, being grabbed by a deputy. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Wargo also said that it was their job to arrest people, so go do your job. Deputies with low arrest numbers were placed in what are described as undesirable assignments like the front desk at the station, traffic detail, or the Compton Town Mall Center. Taylor fled down a nearby trail overlooking a water runoff. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! In reality, theyve never seen the gun, L.A. County Sheriffs Deputy Austreberto Gonzalez said under oath. 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. He also said that after the shooting, the alleged law . 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. Aldama admitted under oath to having a tattoo on his calf depicting a skull with a rifle and a military-style helmet emerging from flames. The county has denied the allegations. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute. He filed a legal claim against the county in June alleging retaliation. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). In 2000, the city disbanded its police force after struggling to contain rising crime and gang violence. 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. The gang recruits deputies based on their use of violence against criminalsuspects and fellow deputies and nearly all its members have been involved in high-profile shootings, according to the claim. Deputies outfitted in riot gear surrounded the small group that had gathered and barricaded them in. 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. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has embraced deputy gang culture for the past 50 years. axel lab publications; los angeles car accident death today. The Sheriffs Department said the FBI is now involved in an investigation of the Executioners. 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. After months of continued retaliation against him, Gonzalez filed a claim against L.A. County that alleges it was the doing of a powerful gang in control of the Compton station called the "Executioners" whose members were some of the deputies that sported matching tattoos containing Nazi-type images and an AK-47. Vega did not appear at inquest. One month later, inked Executioner Edwin Barajas failed Battles out of the training. 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. "The gang controlled the scheduling, and therefore even having a sick child that needed nonstop medical care was secondary to making sure the gang members got their preferred shifts,"Alan Romero, an attorney representing Gonzalez in hisclaim against the county, told Fox News in a statement. Between March and April 2020, Gonzalez says Barragan called him and said that he was going to be placed on the early morning shift. Nhi.Ink Ho Chi Minh City. 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. Gonzalez said hed never been invited to nor attended one. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute. 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. Were going to continue to use all the tools at our disposal.. 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. 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. About one month into Locketts wrongful incarceration, deputies searched the home of his mother and her husband. Gonzalez refused because the schedule wouldnt allow him to take care of his daughter. Sheriff Alex Villanueva initially placed an emergency hold on Guardados autopsy report. 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. 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. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar . He claims the members ink themselves with tattoos featuringNazi imagery, a laughing skeleton and an AK-47. Gonzalez said in the deposition that Jaime Juarez, a deputy he identified as the Executioners shot caller, carried out a work slowdown last year when the acting captain refused to install a member as scheduling deputy. 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. When asked why the deputies targeted his client, Sweeney says, They were chasing ink and any n***** would do. Andrew Haney, who worked at the body shop and witnessed the shooting, told LA Taco that Guardado got to his knees and was shot by a deputy. He was investigated by Los Angeles police in 2012 on an allegation of sexual misconduct. The investigation found that 11 deputies in the East L.A. sheriff's station are in the Banditos gang, and 30 members of the Executioners gang are in the Compton sheriff's station. Obviously, these rogue officers are not going to simply admit that they had formed an unlawful group bent on assaulting minorities, the judge wrote. LOS ANGELES (AP) Los Angeles police fatally shot a 14-year-old girl who was inside a clothing store dressing room Thursday as they fired at a suspect who had assaulted a woman earlier, authorities said. These deputies share a tattoo, which features a skeleton . It was alleged in the filing that the 'Executioners' function at the Compton station with "impunity". 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. At the Compton sheriffs station, its called a ghost gun: a weapon a deputy says he spots on a suspect but that is never found when colleagues respond to the scene and search for it. The claim says the group sporting tattoos of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47 . The gang wanted control over that position because the deputy was responsible for assigning shifts and granting days off. Gonzalezs statements were introduced in an excessive-force lawsuit filed against the Sheriffs Department by Sheldon Lockett. They chased him until they found him hiding in a backyard, where Lockett says he surrendered. 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 . The judge hearing the case cited the evidence when tentatively deciding to advance the case for trial. The position theyre taking is making it difficult to get discovery. But Casey says his firm is determined to expose the truth. The county settled the case with Taylor's family for $7 million. Several local government officials issued statements on the shooting. 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. This article about a criminal organization is a stub. Recruits are reportedly chosen for the gang based on their propensity for violence against members of the community. Compton has long had a troubled history with law enforcement. 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. "And criminaldefense attorneys are going to be lining up making motions for new trials. Gonzalez says in a complaint filed with the County that his supervisors would not have a conversation with Juarez about the time off request because of Juarezs gang ties. 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. 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. We would hardly ever see a unit in the booking line with, you know you know, with suspects in their back seats. 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. Her decision essentially means the Sheriffs Departments account of Guardados death will be the official version until and unless its revisited during a trial. . university of southern maine accelerated nursing program acceptance rate I think it is some type of reward, Gonzalez testified. Lockett was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and other gun charges and spent eight months in jail. The subculture includes monikers that indicate members of theBanditos, Regulators, Grim Reapers and Spartans, which allegedly operate out of various sheriff department patrol stations. Accepting the deputys testimony, there is evidence that the clique existed in Compton and that it routinely violated the rights of suspects, Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Walsh said in his ruling. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. There were inking parties and celebrations.. However, Bautista was loaned out to DB and used a pencil holder, mouse, and mousepad adorned with the Executioners logo. Their 18-year-old son Andrs, a recent high school graduate, was studying at Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

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