Seven Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies suspended after Christmas party brawl
Men's Central Jail
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Seven Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have been relieved of duty pending an investigation into a brawl at a Christmas party, a sheriff's spokesman said today.
The party, held Friday at the Quiet Cannon banquet hall in Montebello was for deputies who work at Men's Central Jail. About 11:30 p.m., a fight broke out, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. He said he thought it happened outside the hall.
About 100 guests came and went from the celebration during the course of the evening, but only sheriff's deputies were involved in the scuffle.
"The department is looking at this very seriously,'' Whitmore said.
"This is absolutely unacceptable behavior.''
Two people were treated for mild or moderate injuries, but "no one went to the hospital,'' he said, adding that no guns were involved.
All seven have been relieved of duty with pay pending investigation by the Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and the Internal Affairs Bureau.
Those investigations will be comprehensive and expedited, he said.
"This is going to be done sooner rather than later,'' said Whitmore.
"(Sheriff Lee Baca) wants to get to the bottom of this immediately.''
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Prosecutors have declined to file criminal charges against a group of Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies accused of assaulting three fellow deputies at a Christmas party last year, it was reported today.
The violence broke out at a department party in Montebello and drew widespread attention after those involved were described as being part of an aggressive deputies’ clique at Men’s Central Jail known to throw gang-like hand signs, the Los Angeles Times reported.
MALIBU, Calif.—More bones were found on Sunday in a Malibu ravine where the remains of a Mitrice Richardson were found 11 months after she was allowed to walk away from a sheriff's station.
The goal of the search, which included coroner's investigators and a sheriff's homicide detective, was to find anything that could be related to the case of Mitrice Richardson, Steve Whitmore of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told City News Service.
A memorial service was recently held for Mitrice Richardson, the 24-year-old woman whose remains were discovered Aug. 9, 11 months after she was released from Malibu Lost Hills Police station. She was held, after being arrested for non-payment of a dinner tab at Geoffrey’s restaurant.
During the service, which was organized by the victim’s mother Latice Sutton and other friends of the family, they came across what was later determined to be a finger bone.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Department are in disagreement about whether or not protocol was violated, regarding the handling of Mitrice Richardson’s remains.
The coroners office says Sheriff’s deputies may have violated the law and undermined the entire investigation, when they moved the remains found in August without the coroner’s permission.
A Los Angeles federal jury awarded $6 million in damages to a Compton bus driver who claimed he was racially profiled by sheriff’s deputies who beat him after a traffic stop.
Following a three-day civil trial, a jury last Thursday found Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Sgt. Pablo Partida and Deputy Robert Martinez liable for excessive force and malicious prosecution against 33-year-old Deon Dirks.
Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said the award is “excessive” and the department will probably appeal.
