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Sheriff’s Deputies Charged in Jail Beatings Scandal
LOS ANGELES – In a shocking crackdown on law enforcement corruption, 18 current and former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies have been charged with federal crimes, including the unjustified beating of jail inmates and visitors at downtown Los Angeles jail facilities.
The charges, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, stem from a wide-ranging FBI investigation into allegations of civil rights violations and corruption involving members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The investigation, which began by focusing on misconduct in county jails, uncovered a pattern of abuse and obstruction of justice that had become institutionalized within the department.
According to the indictment, two deputy sheriffs, Bryan Brunsting and Jason Branum, are charged with civil rights violations and making false statements in reports. Brunsting, a training officer, is accused of using deputies he was training to file reports that covered up abuse. The victims were inmates at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, where both deputies worked.
Another indictment charges a sergeant and four deputies with civil rights violations, including the arrest and detention of five victims, including the Austrian consul general, when they arrived to visit inmates at the Men’s Central Jail in 2010 and 2011. The lead defendant, Sergeant Eric Gonzalez, is accused of fostering an atmosphere that encouraged and tolerated abuses of the law.
The investigation also found that some members of the Sheriff’s Department considered themselves to be above the law and took affirmative steps to obstruct the federal investigation into misconduct. The defendants in this case are accused of taking steps to ensure that light would not shine on illegal conduct that violated basic constitutional rights.
The defendants, who were taken into custody earlier today, are expected to be arraigned on the charges this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles. The charges are a major blow to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which has faced criticism over the years for its treatment of inmates and visitors.
U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. said that the investigation started by focusing on misconduct in county jails, but uncovered a wide scope of illegal conduct, including excessive force and unlawful arrests. The investigation found that these incidents did not take place in a vacuum, but rather were part of a pattern of institutionalized behavior that tolerated abuses of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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