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. A vast majority of members and prospects, he said, have been involved in high-profile shootings or beatings. Andrs Guardado, 18. Content Warning: This series explicitly details acts of violence (including murder) carried out by law enforcement officials. 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. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. Following the death of Guardado, several protests were held throughout the Los Angeles area. Gonzalez believes that Battles was punished for their association with each other. Hernandez climbed out of the vehicle and began to chase a few of the kids on foot. When asked why the deputies targeted his client, Sweeney says, They were chasing ink and any n***** would do. The Executioners have cost the County of Los Angeles at least $7 million, and the tab and body count continue to grow. 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. "The results of the investigation will be released when legally permissible.". Although the names have changed, these groups all participate in the systematic terrorization of the communities they are sworn to serve and protect. And then at the end when their containments are set up, you know, the gun is never recovered. [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 Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has embraced deputy gang culture for the past 50 years. You know, theyll call it a day and say, Thank you for rolling. 40, which he explained as a reference to his retirement in 2040. compton executioners tattoo. Deputies outfitted in riot gear surrounded the small group that had gathered and barricaded them in. Meanwhile, other deputies, who are members of the Executioners, were given preference for preferred work schedules and assignments, according to the claim. Orrego was discharged from the department in 2017. The claim says the group sporting tattoos of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47 . 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. 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.. LASD personnel claimed that occupants of the vehicle had an AK-47, which was never recovered. He sued in 2018. He was warned by another deputy to be careful. 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. Waldie told Juarez that he would not be intimidated by the gang. Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama speaks at a deposition where he reveals his tattoo associated with the Executioners. . He was investigated by Los Angeles police in 2012 on an allegation of sexual misconduct. Very minimal arrests were being done at that time, Gonzalez said of the work slowdown. 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. Sean Kennedy, member of the Civilian Oversight Commission and professor at Loyola Law School, said Thursday that he and his students have identified at least 17 gangs some of them historical in the department. When his father arrived, Alegria was arrested by another deputy who handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol car. We would hardly ever see a unit in the booking line with, you know you know, with suspects in their back seats. 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:. However, Bautista was loaned out to DB and used a pencil holder, mouse, and mousepad adorned with the Executioners logo. The sheriff's department has long been plagued by allegations of cliques composed of deputies forming what civil rights activistssee as criminal gangs. They know whats going on. The description of the suspect was minimal: a Black person in a blue beanie driving a Silver Pontiac. They chased him until they found him hiding in a backyard, where Lockett says he surrendered. Black people and women are not allowed to join. Compton has long had a troubled history with law enforcement. And you can quote me on that.. Gonzalez feared violent retribution at the hands of the gang, so he took several days off work. After Gonzalez made his report, graffiti appeared at the station calling him a rat. 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. Gonzalez was eventuallyforced to step down from hisfield training officer positionand deputies refused to partner with him, he alleges. 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. Especially in the South command district that is Compton Station, the Century Station, South LA Station, and the East LA Station. Gonzalez said hed never been invited to nor attended one. 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. He was a talented football player who earned a college scholarship. The letters CPT, for Compton, appear on the helmet. Fox News Flash top headlines for August 3. They encircled us and basically trapped us in there, says Gonzalez. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The Guardado family has filed a civil complaint against the County and department, which is pending. 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. By the summer of 2020, the Executioners had thoroughly taken over the Compton Station, according to a deputy who attempted to whistleblow. 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.. Alegria told the Times that every 10 minutes a deputy would come ask if he needed medical attention. 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. 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." Average arrests per deputy in Compton went up from 2.5 arrests per month to 7. Vega did not appear at inquest. Alegria walked away and said that a family unloading groceries from their car gave him water and let him call his father. Her decision essentially means the Sheriffs Departments account of Guardados death will be the official version until and unless its revisited during a trial. He ran just like Sheldon Lockett ran. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Alegria told the deputies to leave the youth alone. The judge hearing the case cited the evidence when tentatively deciding to advance the case for trial. As pictured below, the Executioner's tattoo depicts a skull wearing a Nazi helmet with "CPT" on front and a rifle encircled by flames. From there he walked east until he could afford a Lyft and completed his trip to the house around 2:38 PM. If you have an emergency or you want to make sure that every deputy hears your conversation with the dispatcher, you ask for the patch and they patch you into every deputy on duty in Compton. They were informed by a neighbor that LASD personnel had descended on their home. Inking refers to the act of each newly made member of The Executioners receiving a matching tattoo indicating membership in the organization. Juarez was reportedly part of a reform effort put forward under former Sheriff Jim McDonnell that stationed deputies who had been involved with multiple on-duty shootings behind a desk. Members of the Banditos can be identified by their signature tattoos of a skeleton wearing a sombrero . 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. The tattoos were given by four or five different artists at different people's homes, he said. nbcsn spectrum channel raleigh nc; daniel cusimano disney; ronnie lott age. Rand Corp., a nonprofit research agency, has also been studying the clique culture and plans to publish its report in January. 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 . About one month into Locketts wrongful incarceration, deputies searched the home of his mother and her husband. On August 25, 2016, Samuel Aldama, a sheriff's deputy from the Compton station with an Executioners tattoo, and his partner fatally shot Donta Taylor, an African American man walking on the sidewalk . He came within a fraction of an inch of being one of those statistics, Sweeney says. This Los Angelesrelated article is a stub. 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. 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. 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. In May, Dalvin Price was beaten by three deputies, and in JuneAndres Guardado, 18, was killed after being shot five times in the back. 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. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama was forced to reveal his tattoo during a deposition about the Taylor case. This is an atomic bomb that has been dropped on law enforcement, John Sweeney, an attorney who represented Taylors family, said of Gonzalezs claim. Juarez did not respond to a request for comment. Almost all the members sport a matching tattoo to . 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. It said one of the gangs, The Executioners, which operated in Compton, held celebrations at bars after officers shot somebody. But sheriffs deputies in Compton were increasingly seen as outsiders and developed a reputation among some locals for aggressive tactics. 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. Violence committed to further the gangs agenda is rewarded with permission to skip shifts. 1. new covid vaccines in the pipeline . The subculture includes monikers that indicate members of theBanditos, Regulators, Grim Reapers and Spartans, which allegedly operate out of various sheriff department patrol stations. Deputies claimed he had a weapon but none were recovered. "Deputy Gonzalez was never asked to join the Executioners, as the gang identified prospects as those Deputies most likely to engage in violence or shootings," he said. The case against Lockett was eventually dismissed. The district attorneys office declined to file charges. Because he wasn't a member or a prospect, Gonzalezwas allegedly passed up for better assignments and not given a better work schedule so he could care for his daughter, who has medical needs. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. [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 Deputy Samuel Aldama was forced to reveal his tattoo during a deposition about the Taylor case. McDonnell went on to lose his bid for re-election to current Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who has a history with several gang affiliated deputies. 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. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. 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. [4] Knock LA has reported that the gang consists of around 80 members. According to a complaint Alegria filed against the County, Vega and Hernandez began bullying and harassing young people gathered around the park. 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. Lockett alleges he was targeted by deputies chasing ink when he was beaten and falsely arrested for attempted murder in 2016, his attorneys said. 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. An attorney for the boys family suggested the deputy planted the weapon. Lockett did not own a car, so he took the bus south to Hawthorne. . Lockett was also tasered and pepper sprayed by other deputies. . And instead of being prosecuted, what happened? WitnessLA reports that the Executioners were founded by former 2000 Boy Andy Toone, who appears to no longer be working at the Compton Station. The deputies account of the incident is inconsistent at best. On February 8, 2020, Banuelos texted Gonzalez and told him about Contreras violent behavior. The Taylor family lawsuit was settled for $7 million last year. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. follow. [1][2] In July 2021, U.S. Congressional Representative Maxine Waters called for a Department of Justice inquiry into the existence of the gang. (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 . This is a list of notable criminal gangs in Los Angeles, California.. On that basis, Lockett was arrested and taken into custody. In 2000, the city disbanded its police force after struggling to contain rising crime and gang violence. The deputies pulled out their guns and chased him. These deputies share a tattoo, which features a skeleton . Theres a psychological phenomenon where your life is being threatened, you either fight or you run. Tattoo; Membership; References; Members of the 'Executioners' are deputies operating out of the Compton station of the LASD. 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. Nhi.Ink Ho Chi Minh City. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar structure, Gonzalez testified. The powerful position, which Juarez had previously held, controls scheduling, days off and overtime, Gonzalez said. When he returned, he told Operations Lieutenant Ruiz that he had been the one who made the complaint and wished to remain anonymous. They broke all the cameras and took the DVR, which they pulled a warrant for after the fact. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar structure, Gonzalez testified. Were not going to put a pause or stop on anything unless the court tells us. "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.". Gonzalez, 42, joined the department as a deputy in 2008. 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. The FBI, however, has been interviewing deputies over the last year about whether clique members are actively violating civil rights of the public with false reports or violence. County sheriff's deputy photographed as part of an excessive-force lawsuit. [3] You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. In response, Juarez and the Executioners implemented a work slowdown. 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. 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. [3], Members of the Executioners are deputies operating out of the Compton station of the LASD. Some say its to celebrate that a deputy survived, he 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. 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. Bautista, an inked Executioner who worked in dispatch, began routing an excessive number of calls to Gonzalez in comparison to other deputies on the same shift. 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. Austreberto Art Gonzalez started working for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department in 2007. 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. The complaint was never investigated. Vega and Hernandez remained on the street. October 21, 2021. I call that a gang. Its supposed to be theyre stopping a threat, not punishing for something., Just got teargassed. The group filed a federal complaint against the County and Sheriff Villanueva, along with several other protesters who were rallying against police violence in demonstrations across Los Angeles County. Were going to continue to use all the tools at our disposal.. n which members are accused of misconduct. 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. Deputy Vega does not have one single tattoo on his body, much less a deputy gang tattoo, his attorney Adam Marangell said. There were inking parties and celebrations.. Of 100 patrol deputies in Compton Station, 40 are alleged to be affiliated with the gang. Attorneys and witnesses gathered outside South LA Station a few days later to speak about the incident. This is five years post arrest, he still has those same unabated symptoms.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He added the department has gone through great lengths to rid itself of similar groups. The county has denied allegations that the deputies beat the plaintiff, Sheldon Lockett, or used racial slurs against him during the incident in 2016. Instead, he says, they served a search warrant on her home in retaliation. The gang's hallmark is a tattoo of a . So did dozens others worse than me. This was nothing more than a sport kill and an attempt to getting into this gang. The county settled the case with Taylor's family for $7 million. The logo of the Executioners clique on a mousepad and pencil holder at Compton sheriffs station. 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. In the months after, both deputies committed brutal acts of violence against Black men. 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. In 2016, Gonzalez attempted to get time off of work in order to care for his daughter. As they drove, the deputies spotted a group of teenagers on bikes. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Discover the tattoos, the resident and guest artists, the walk-in and private studios, the events and conventions and the tattoo removal centers located in Ho Chi Minh City. Now, Locketts attorneys are citing Gonzalezs claim in a court filing seeking to reopen discovery, depose several deputies again and examine their WhatsApp accounts. Vega and Hernandez approached Alegria, grabbed him by the wrist, and threw him in the back of their patrol car. (John Sweeney) BY ALENE TCHEKMEDYIANSTAFF WRITER FEB. 19, 2022 3:32 PM PT A Los Angeles County sheriff' s deputy associated with the gang-like group of deputies with matching tattoos from Compton station testied that he has attended about seven so-called inking parties since he rst saw the . The Executioners were behind several violent incidents in the Compton area in 2020. July 4, 2022 compton executioners tattoobritish white cattle for sale in washingtonbritish white cattle for sale in washington The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department . 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. It was one of the first instances of retaliation that continued for months, exacted by the Executioners, a band of deputies with matching tattoos that wields vast power at the Compton station, he alleged in a claim filed against Los Angeles County. Before joining the department, he served in the Marine Corps. Gonzalez accepted the transfer to DB and saw it as an opportunity to get away from the gang. There is zero evidence of three or more deputies engaged in criminal activity with a unifying symbol whose primary purpose is to commit crime, Villanueva said. Andres ran down the driveway, got on his knees and put his hands behind his head. "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. After Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael P. Vicencia ruled that Aldama and Orrego had to reveal whether they knew the names of deputies who have matching skull tattoos at the Compton Station, the County settled the case for $7 million, funded by taxpayers. They knew that a gang existed. 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. Gonzalez states in his claim that during this time he was partnered with Deputy Iliana Vargas, who was Juarezs girlfriend. WitnessLA reports that all three deputies were Executioners. Had that been investigated Donta Taylor would still be alive, Sweeney said. The Executioners began to get more aggressive with fellow LASD personnel. Deputy Eugene Contreras returned to the Compton Station in 2020 after a temporary assignment in the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB).
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