Eight LA sheriff’s deputies fired for 2023 arrest and beating of trans man

Eight LA Sheriff’s Deputies Fired Over Trans Man’s Beating

Eight deputies from the LA sheriff’s department were fired following the beating of a transgender man during a February 2023 arrest

Crime

Los Angeles, California, Transgender, Police Misconduct, Emmett Brock

Los Angeles: So, it turns out that eight deputies from the LA sheriff’s department got fired for their involvement in the arrest and beating of a transgender man named Emmett Brock back in February 2023. The whole thing is still under investigation by the FBI, which is pretty wild.

One of the main guys, Deputy Joseph Benza III, just pleaded guilty to a serious charge in federal court. He could be looking at up to ten years in prison for what he did. It’s a big deal, and it’s good to see some accountability happening.

Apparently, Benza and his buddies tried to cover up what really went down during the incident. They didn’t even tell the truth about why they pulled Brock over. The sheriff’s department confirmed that more than just Benza were let go, but they didn’t give a specific number at first. Later, sources said it was eight deputies, including some sergeants.

The sheriff, Robert G Luna, made a statement saying that the actions of these deputies really hurt the department’s integrity and the trust of the community. He was pretty upset about it, saying it’s troubling when someone abuses their power like that.

Benza is set to be back in court soon, and his lawyer is hoping for probation. He claims that while Benza’s initial actions might have been justified, the way he handled things afterward was not cool at all.

So, here’s how it all started: Brock was just leaving his job as a high school teacher when he saw Benza in a heated argument with someone. He flipped Benza the bird, and that’s when things went south. Benza decided to follow him for almost two miles before pulling him over.

When Brock pulled into a 7-Eleven parking lot, Benza approached him without explaining why he was stopping him. Things escalated quickly, and Brock ended up on the ground, screaming for help. It was a pretty intense situation, and it’s all caught on video.

Brock ended up with some serious injuries, including bruises and a concussion. He was initially charged with a few felonies, but all those charges have since been dropped, and a judge declared him innocent. Can you believe that?

As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that Benza’s story didn’t match up with the evidence. He even tried to get his fellow officers to delete messages about the incident. It’s like they were trying to cover their tracks.

Now, Brock and his lawyer are pursuing a federal case against the county and the deputies for false imprisonment and civil rights violations. It’s a lot to deal with, but Brock is trying to move forward. He lost his teaching job shortly after the arrest but is now working at a homeless shelter and finishing up his master’s degree.

He mentioned that he still feels anxious about driving, worried about being pulled over again. But he also said that the outcome of this case gives him a bit of peace of mind, which is something, right?

Image Credits and Reference: https://www.yahoo.com/news/eight-la-sheriff-deputies-fired-211638236.html