Trans Man Alleges He Was Assaulted By L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy

[Carolyn Marie]

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/deputy-seen-punching-transgender-man-in-l-a-county/

 

Three comments:  one, what the deputy did seems totally wrong and is probably a "contempt of cop" action (of which I am very familiar with from my PD days), and it's likely the deputy will be fired and possibly arrested; two, it seems unlikely that the deputy knew Brock was trans when the incident happened, which doesn't make it any less wrong; and three, what happened at the station is very much the result of Brock telling deputies he was trans, and so just made the whole thing much worse than it should have been.

 

People think L.A. is an easy place to be trans; it's easier than many places, but it ain't no picnic in the park.

 

Carolyn Marie

[Ivy]

I saw something about this.  It just seemed messed up all around.  Certainly seems like an abuse of power.  It doesn't seem to have started as a trans issue though.  A bunch of people having a bad day.

[VickySGV]

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has a weak record in this area of internal investigation and discipline and the current elected County Sheriff is not making any improvements in that situation.  The name of the Trans man is vaguely familiar to me, but he is not the only Trans man here who has had problems with the LASD which also did not investigate a couple of date rape situations in West Hollywood recently involving Trans men who were drugged by attackers at two venues, both of whom had significant injuries.  LASD is an organization in need of some MAJOR improvement. 

[Carolyn Marie]

11 minutes ago, VickySGV said:

 LASD is an organization in need of some MAJOR improvement. 

 

Could not agree more, @VickySGV

 

Carolyn Marie

[awkward-yet-sweet]

The deputy had no excuse for grabbing him and throwing him on the ground.  Disagreement with a LEO's verbal assertion is not the same thing as physical resistance.   IDK how it is there, but where I live, if the officer's lights don't come on before you enter a parking lot or other private property,  it is no longer a "traffic stop." The video is unclear on that part.

 

I suspect that deputy treated his victim in this way because he thought he could get away with it.  Wrestling on the ground like that is exactly what an officer doesnt do if somebody is considered to be a threat.  They back up and use a taser if possible,  as getting close risks injury by a hidden knife.  The fact that he did the arrest in this manner could be used as evidence against him by a smart defense attorney.