When Gonzalez complained to his supervisor, Lieutenant Ruiz, he told Gonzalez that he could make another complaint to IAB. She graduated from Vassar College. 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 . LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas also called for an independent investigation. [4] Knock LA has reported that the gang consists of around 80 members. LAPD 'SWAT MAFIA' ENCOURAGED DEADLY FORCE AND RETALIATION, OFFICER'S LAWSUIT CLAIMS, A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy alleges a claim in the department's Compton station called the Executioners retaliated against him for reporting misconduct. Deputies outfitted in riot gear surrounded the small group that had gathered and barricaded them in. The charges against Alegria were dropped at a preliminary hearing. The Times has requested arrest records from the Compton station to determine whether such a slowdown occurred. Gonzalez believes that Battles was punished for their association with each other. Gonzalez says he was forced to take paid family leave. In his deposition, Gonzalez identified Miguel Vega, the Compton station deputy who killed 18-year-old Andres Guardado in a shooting in June that sparked weeks of protests, and his partner, Chris Hernandez, as prospective members of the Executioners. This is a list of notable criminal gangs in Los Angeles, California.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Meanwhile, other deputies, who are members of the Executioners, were given preference for preferred work schedules and assignments, according to the claim. Following The Times reporting, Compton officials issued formal requests to the state and federal attorney generals to investigate allegations of pervasive civil rights violations. 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. 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. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. . Gonzalez was approached by Alcala who informed him that, [The Executioners] are saying that it was you who called IA.. Xonya Ho Chi Minh City. A few weeks after the implementation of the policy, Lieutenant John Wargo held a briefing and told deputies their arrest statistics were too low. "Skeletons, which is a symbol of death, there were flames coming out of . In 2017, after Gonzalez returned, Compton Station Captain Michael Thatcher allegedly implemented an illegal arrest quota policy, where deputies were instructed to arrest people for misdemeanors that would not ordinarily result in a citation, let alone arrest. Waldie told Juarez that he would not be intimidated by the gang. Lockett alleges he was targeted by deputies chasing ink when he was beaten and falsely arrested for attempted murder in 2016, his attorneys said. 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 . No gun was found. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said during a live Facebook broadcast Wednesday that there is no gang of any deputies running any station. But he said that he was disturbed by the allegations in the claim and that swift administrative action is being taken. Almost all the members sport a matching tattoo to . 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. . The tattoos are allegedly awarded for killing a civilian, and given out at parties. 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. LA police station 'taken over by "Executioners" gang with Nazi tattoos who make illegal arrests', whistleblower cop says Mollie Mansfield Published : 22:37, 4 Aug 2020 Gonzalez, 42, joined the department as a deputy in 2008. Gonzalez alleged that Compton station deputies "become inked as 'Executioners' after executing members of the public, or otherwise committing acts of violence in furtherance of the gang." [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. View all. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. On that basis, Lockett was arrested and taken into custody. He doesnt have one, nor does he plan on getting one.. About 15 to 20 deputies are Executioners, he said, and at least a handful more are prospective members who are chasing ink. He said its the word out that only two deputies are inked each year women and Black people arent allowed. Members communicate exclusively through the encrypted message service WhatsApp. The caption of the photo read, Some people worked Compton, others just claimed they did!!!. Before joining the department, he served in the Marine Corps. Further More "Piru" is also a popular choice as it's derived from the gang's original name "Compton Pirus" after their L.A. territory. The Guardado family has filed a civil complaint against the County and department, which is pending. Aldama said in a deposition that about twenty other deputies at the Compton station had the same tattoo. It's probably pretty clear that a prisoner with a hooded executioner tattoo has murdered someone, but it's actually worse than that. The Sheriffs Department said in a statement that it had not yet received the transcript of Gonzalezs testimony. 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. Details about the Compton clique were first revealed in a civil case brought by the family of Donta Taylor, a 31-year-old man who was shot and killed when deputies opened fire during a foot chase in 2016. Compton City Attorney Damon Brown sent a letter to the LASD demanding the removal of Vega and Hernandez. When Gonzalez complained to Scheduling and Training Sergeant Lopez about the situation, Lopez informed him that he would support Juarez. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). When Gonzalez returned from his time off he was approached by Scheduling Sergeant Frank Barragan, who reprimanded him for using paid family leave to care for his daughter. Deputy Gang within the Los Angeles Sherrif's Department, "Rep. It was a photo of graffiti scrawled on a dial pad at the stations parking lot entrance: ART IS A RAT, it read. . 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. Austreberto Gonzalez, asheriff's deputy and aMarine Corps veteran, worked at the Compton patrol station for five years where the gang wielded outsized influence, according to the claim obtained by Fox News. Their 18-year-old son Andrs, a recent high school graduate, was studying at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. The Executioners maintain control of the Compton Station by instituting work slowdowns in response to policies they dont like. Following the death of Guardado, several protests were held throughout the Los Angeles area. (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 . 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. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). Ultimately, Gonzalezs transfer request was denied. "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. 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. The Executioners have cost the County of Los Angeles at least $7 million, and the tab and body count continue to grow. Their focus is their group.. 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. He ran just like Sheldon Lockett ran. In a Facebook video last week, Sheriff Alex Villanueva denied a gang of deputies were running the Compton station when asked specifically about the Executioners. . Black people and women are not allowed to join. Vega accelerated towards them as they scattered. A tattoo on an LA. The letters CPT, for Compton, appear on the helmet. 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. Especially in the South command district that is Compton Station, the Century Station, South LA Station, and the East LA Station. A custom mouse and mousepad in the regalia of the Compton Executioners sheriff's deputy gang. Romero alleges that the same image was found on a mouse pad and pencil holder at the station desk of someone belonging to the Executioners. Market data provided by Factset. Walsh said three Compton deputies, including Aldama and Orrego, have denied in other court proceedings that they were part of a clique and attributed their matching tattoos to serendipity.. "And criminaldefense attorneys are going to be lining up making motions for new trials. Theres a psychological phenomenon where your life is being threatened, you either fight or you run. (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 . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, But Sheldon Lockett had witnesses and he lived to tell the story, Sweeney says. In May, Dalvin Price was beaten by three deputies, and in JuneAndres Guardado, 18, was killed after being shot five times in the back. [4] These deputies share a tattoo, which features a skeleton with an assault rifle and a Nazi-style helmet. The "Executioners" is made up of about 20 deputies with another 20 prospects or associates, according to the claim. Video of this coming pic.twitter.com/CLUDUfCYBO. Tattooed in Ho Chi Minh City. 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." He requested another week off work out of fear. Sweeney says that the LASD never found the person responsible for the driveby that initiated the incident. Andres ran down the driveway, got on his knees and put his hands behind his head. He filed a legal claim against the county in June alleging retaliation. The deputies account of the incident is inconsistent at best. (Google Maps). Gonzalez feared violent retribution at the hands of the gang, so he took several days off work. 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. He sued in 2018. Black and females deputies are not allowed to join, the claim said. No gun was ever recovered. 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. The sheriff's department has long been plagued by allegations of cliques composed of deputies forming what civil rights activistssee as criminal gangs. Vega fired his weapon at Guardado six times, striking him five times in the back. 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. 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. 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. The Taylor family lawsuit was settled for $7 million last year. They are accused of acting against their fellow deputies and the people to better their own standing in the organization. I call that a gang. 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. Juarez did not respond to a request for comment. 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. 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. They were informed by a neighbor that LASD personnel had descended on their home. Vega and Hernandez remained on the street. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. A further 20 deputies are close associates of the gang and considered to be "prospects." 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. In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar structure, Gonzalez testified. Mary Starks told KCAL9 that her son had been riding his bike to get her cigarettes, as was his custom, when he was killed. 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. Gonzalez refused because the schedule wouldnt allow him to take care of his daughter. 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. 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. He was investigated by Los Angeles police in 2012 on an allegation of sexual misconduct. Attorneys and witnesses gathered outside South LA Station a few days later to speak about the incident. Recruits are reportedly chosen for the gang based on their propensity for violence against members of the community. They know it was you, Gonzalez recalled being told. Once we do, counsel will review and we can respond appropriately, a spokesman said. Peaceful demonstrators, observers, and members of the press were fired upon with less-lethal munitions and tear gas. The judge hearing the case cited the evidence when tentatively deciding to advance the case for trial. When he said that he did, he wasnt given any. Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. We have a booking line. 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. Instead he submitted a declaration saying that if he was called to testify, he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights and not answer questions. The Compton division of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department are under investigation after one deputy blew the whistle on fellow officers who reportedly threw secret parties and got . About one month into Locketts wrongful incarceration, deputies searched the home of his mother and her husband. Market data provided by Factset. The deputies were assigned to Compton Station, and both would eventually testify to being tattooed with the skull-and-assault-rifle insignia that whistleblowers claim signifies membership in a violent deputy gang known as the Executioners. 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. The claim says the group sporting tattoos of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47 . L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. In 2019, for example, the county paid out $7 million to settle a wrongful death claim filed by the family of a man shot and killed by a deputy with an Executioners tattoo. Legal Statement. 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. 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. Guardado was frightened and fled behind the gate of the property and into an alley. McDonnell went on to lose his bid for re-election to current Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who has a history with several gang affiliated deputies. 40, which he explained as a reference to his retirement in 2040. They encircled us and basically trapped us in there, says Gonzalez. Its the kind of behavior that plays out regularly at the station, according to a whistleblower who worked there for five years and recounted other sensational allegations in a recent deposition obtained by The Times in a federal civil rights lawsuit. In 2019, for example, the county paid out $7 million to settle a wrongful death claim filed by the family of a man shot and killed by a deputy with an Executioners tattoo. 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. Deputies were heavily criticized in 2005 after firing about 120 rounds at a moving vehicle driven by an unarmed man, who was shot four times. Members each have a tattoo of a skeleton wearing a Nazi helmet emblazoned with the letters CPT. There was nobody being arrested. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). The Executioners have the symbol, the Jump Out Boys have the symbol, and several other people have the symbol, which is a skeleton, a symbol of death.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. He also said that after the shooting, the alleged law . In June 2020, TMZ captured three Compton deputies severely beating a man. Alegria told the Times that every 10 minutes a deputy would come ask if he needed medical attention. Knock LA is a nonprofit community journalism project, originally conceived by Ground Game LA. Sweeneys firm brought another excessive-force case involving the same deputies in the Taylor case, which is pending in federal court. On February 8, 2020, Banuelos texted Gonzalez and told him about Contreras violent behavior. My guys are in trouble for not reporting the Banditos to the Banditos, Miller said, adding that his clients did report the incident right away to a lieutenant they trusted. When he sees a police officer in the rearview mirror he gets frightened, starts sweating. The complaint was never investigated. The county settled the case with Taylor's family for $7 million. Thats because the call-out is based on a lie. [1] [2] In July 2021, U.S. Congressional Representative Maxine Waters called for a Department of Justice inquiry into the existence of the gang. The next day, two investigators came to the station unannounced and requested to speak with Gonzalez at the front desk. 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. 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. Had that been investigated Donta Taylor would still be alive, Sweeney said. He attended Los Angeles Trade Technical College and worked two part-time jobs. When asked why the deputies targeted his client, Sweeney says, They were chasing ink and any n***** would do. Uncategorized . Rand Corp., a nonprofit research agency, has also been studying the clique culture and plans to publish its report in January. Obviously, these rogue officers are not going to simply admit that they had formed an unlawful group bent on assaulting minorities, the judge wrote. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. But he denied that gangs exist within the Sheriffs Department. 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. 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. The Compton Executioners is a deputy gang within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department . 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. 1. new covid vaccines in the pipeline . Hernandez climbed out of the vehicle and began to chase a few of the kids on foot. 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. Nhi.Ink Ho Chi Minh City. Between March and April 2020, Gonzalez says Barragan called him and said that he was going to be placed on the early morning shift. The deputies pulled out their guns and chased him. Proponents claimed the money would be reinvested in the community and would lead to an economic revival. "This . . The district attorneys office declined to file charges. 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. Gonzalezwas never asked to join, Romero said. The officers had matching "Executioners" tattoos to show allegiance to the faction. Gonzalez states in his claim that during this time he was partnered with Deputy Iliana Vargas, who was Juarezs girlfriend. Sweeney says that both deputies arrest records show they detained Black people at a disproportionately higher rate than other groups.