2 ex-LA sheriff’s deputies face federal civil rights prices
LOS ANGELES — Two former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies are accused of violating the civil rights of a skateboarder in 2020 and perpetrating a coverup, federal prosecutors mentioned Thursday.
A grand jury handed down the indictment final month, and each ex-deputies surrendered to authorities Thursday when it was unsealed.
Miguel Vega and Christopher Hernandez are accused of throwing the skateboarder — recognized as “J.A.” in courtroom papers — at the back of their cruiser and detaining him with out trigger in Compton in April 2020. He was nonetheless within the patrol car once they engaged in a pursuit and crashed the automobile, injuring the skateboarder. Prosecutors say the duo then conspired to coverup the 23-year-old man’s illegal detention.
Vega, 32, and Hernandez, 37, are charged with conspiracy, deprivation of rights underneath shade of legislation, witness tampering and falsification of information. Vega is charged with one other falsification of information rely. Their attorneys didn’t reply to an emailed request for remark Thursday.
The Sheriff’s Division mentioned it helped federal businesses with a prison investigation that led indicting the lads, who “are not members of the division.”
“The Sheriff’s Division is dedicated to holding workers accountable for his or her actions and expects them to exhibit the best ethical and moral requirements when serving our communities,” an announcement mentioned.
The identical ex-deputies had been concerned within the deadly capturing of an 18-year-old man later that 12 months throughout a foot chase. Authorities say Vega shot Andres Guardadofive instances within the again after the deputies chased him on foot. Guardado’s killing sparked protests, and his household settled a lawsuit with the county for $8 million.
The federal indictment was first reported Thursday by the Los Angeles Instances. Vega and Hernandez had been scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon.
The deputies remained on lively obligation till December 2020, the LA Instances reported.
“The indictment alleges that these two deputies violated a youngster’s constitutional rights by willfully and illegally detaining him with out simply trigger,” U.S. Lawyer Martin Estrada mentioned in a information launch. “Officers who abuse their energy should be held accountable, and my Workplace is dedicated to prosecuting violations of civil rights by those that violate their oaths and victimize those that they had been sworn to guard.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division didn’t instantly have a remark after the indictment was unsealed.
On April 13, 2020, Vega and Hernandez approached two younger Black males exterior a Compton skatepark. J.A., who was contained in the enclosed park, yelled on the deputies to go away the lads alone. The deputies pulled J.A. via a gap within the fence and threw him into the again of the cruiser, prosecutors mentioned.
“Vega and Hernandez didn’t handcuff J.A., didn’t safe J.A.’s seatbelt, didn’t inform J.A. that J.A. was underneath arrest, and didn’t inform J.A. of J.A.’s rights at any time,” in line with the indictment.
Vega, the motive force, informed J.A. that they might drop him off in gang territory as Hernandez, from the passenger seat, informed the skateboarder he could be crushed. Then Vega, with J.A. nonetheless within the backseat, started pursuing a bicyclist down an alley, the place the deputy crashed the car, prosecutors mentioned.
J.A. suffered a lower above his proper eye within the collision. Vega pulled him out of the cruiser and informed him to go away, however the deputy later reported a suspect with a gun, describing J.A.’s garments, had fled the realm. Neither deputy mentioned the skateboarder had been contained in the patrol car in the course of the crash, in line with the indictment.
Vega then informed a sergeant that J.A. was suspected of being underneath the affect of a managed substance. Prosecutors mentioned Hernandez later directed one other deputy to put in writing him a quotation for being underneath the affect of methamphetamine after J.A. was taken to the hospital for his lower.
Prosecutors additionally allege Vega and Hernandez falsified incident stories later within the month, inaccurately claiming, amongst different issues, J.A. had threatened to hurt individuals within the skatepark.