Members of the family of individuals killed by sheriff’s deputies criticized the division and demanded change at an emotionally charged city corridor assembly Saturday in East Los Angeles.
Hosted by the Civilian Oversight Fee, the assembly was known as to provide members of the group an opportunity to inform Los Angeles County officers concerning the repercussions of so-called gangs — violent teams of inked deputies — that function with the Sheriff’s Division.
“To me, they’re punks,” mentioned Lisa Vargas, whose son Anthony Vargas was killed by deputies in 2018. “Our communities want to lift up and begin bringing this subject to the streets.”
A number of different audio system known as for group motion, and a few questioned whether or not change was doubtless and even potential. Others reiterated long-standing complaints concerning the Sheriff’s Division harassment of the households of individuals slain by deputies.
Nonetheless others — together with one in every of Vargas’ aunts — drew consideration to the truth that Sheriff Robert Luna was not among the many county officers who attended.
“The place’s Robert? The place’s Robert Luna?” mentioned Stephanie Luna. “He’s the one who’s purported to be right here to undertake these suggestions and he’s the chair that’s lacking within the room — and that’s the issue.”
The Sheriff’s Division has lengthy confronted allegations about secretive deputy teams operating amok in sure stations and jails, controlling command employees and selling a tradition of violence. A Loyola Marymount College report launched in 2021 recognized 18 such teams which have existed over the past 5 a long time, together with the Executioners on the Compton station, the Reapers on the South L.A. station and the Little Devils on the East L.A. station, which has been a specific sizzling spot for hassle.
“Sadly, the East L.A. station is, to my information, the incubator of deputy gangs — the Devils began right here,” mentioned fee chair Sean Kennedy.
“There have been others,” he added, “most lately the Banditos.”
In a single significantly violent 2018 incident, a bunch of alleged Banditos attacked a number of new deputies at a celebration. Two of the targets have been knocked unconscious, and the brawl sparked a number of investigations.
The East L.A. station can also be on the middle of a sprawling lawsuit filed in 2019 by eight deputies alleging they have been recurrently harassed by Banditos members who refused to ship backup on harmful calls and pressured them to stop.
In January, one other lawsuit alleged {that a} new “gang” had begun forming within the East L.A. station.
And final week, deputies on the East LA. station got here underneath scrutiny as Lisa Vargas and her household lastly acquired their day in courtroom.
The Vargas household sued the county in 2019, seven months after two deputies shot Anthony 13 occasions as he tried to get away from them. The lawsuit blamed the station’s “gang tradition” because the “transferring pressure” behind the killing. However simply earlier than the case made it to trial, a federal choose barred any point out of the Banditos or different Sheriff’s Division cliques. Closing arguments within the case are anticipated to start subsequent week.
No matter occurs in courtroom, Saturday’s city corridor could possibly be the primary of many. In a prolonged report launched earlier this yr, the Civilian Oversight Fee’s particular counsel supplied greater than two dozen suggestions for eradicating deputy “gangs,” together with firing captains who received’t help anti-gang insurance policies, requiring deputies to cover any gang-related tattoos at work, notifying prosecutors every time a gang-involved deputy is ready to testify as a witness in courtroom and holding group conferences — very similar to the one organized by the oversight fee this weekend.
In contrast to his predecessor, Luna has acknowledged the existence of deputy “gangs,” and publicly mentioned that he desires to finish them. Nonetheless, he has not but formally accepted the report’s suggestions.
“He’s contemplating these,” Kennedy mentioned. “We don’t have a solution but, however I anticipate one quickly.”
