A Los Angeles County sheriff’s commander who was vital of efforts to cowl up an incident wherein a deputy kneeled on a handcuffed inmate’s head has filed authorized papers accusing Sheriff Alex Villanueva of obstructing justice and retaliating towards those that blew the whistle.
Within the authorized declare towards L.A. County, which is a required precursor to a lawsuit, Allen Castellano supplied new particulars about Villanueva’s alleged function in protecting the March 2021 incident underneath wraps that contradict the sheriff’s declare that he realized of the incident a number of months after it occurred.
In accordance with the declare, Villanueva, together with a lieutenant working as his aide, Undersheriff Tim Murakami and Assistant Sheriff Robin Limon, considered a video of the incident simply 5 days after it occurred.
After watching, Villanueva allegedly mentioned to the group, “We don't want unhealthy media presently,” and advised Limon that he would “deal with the matter,” the declare mentioned.
“Villanueva actually meant that he would proceed to impede justice and direct a cover-up of the incident,” the declare alleged.
Villanueva didn't reply to a request for remark. The Sheriff’s Division introduced Monday that Villanueva would maintain a information convention Tuesday relating to “false claims” made in a latest lawsuit by a “disgruntled worker.”
The submitting goes on to allege that Villanueva blocked a prison investigation into the deputy for utilizing extreme pressure and stopped assault costs from being filed towards the inmate in an try to maintain the violent detention secret.
“Villanueva knew that if assault costs had been filed towards the inmate, his protection legal professional would have gotten entry to the video and the general public may see it,” the declare says.
Villanueva mentioned the deputy who kneeled on the inmate was relieved of responsibility in November, instantly after the sheriff realized of the incident. The declare says Johnson wasn’t relieved of responsibility till Dec. 7.
The county’s inspector basic, who oversees the Sheriff’s Division, is probing whether or notVillanueva lied about what he knew and when. And Lt. Jim Braden advised The Occasions that he contacted the FBI to report that he believes the dealing with of the incident violated division procedures and will have amounted to prison obstruction of justice or conspiracy.
The Occasions revealed the violent detention, which occurred on the morning of March 10, 2021, and the allegations of a cover-up.
That morning, deputies had been conducting routine searches of inmates earlier than their courtroom appearances on the San Fernando Courthouse when deputies advised two inmates to be quiet.
Because the pair continued speaking and laughing, Deputy Douglas Johnson ordered one of many males, Enzo Escalante, to cease and face the wall.
Safety video obtained by The Occasions exhibits Johnson strolling carefully behind Escalante by way of a hallway earlier than ushering him towards a wall.
Escalante rotated and punched Johnson within the face a number of instances. Johnson and different deputies then took Escalante to the bottom, positioning him facedown.
After he was handcuffed, Johnson saved his knee on Escalante’s head for 3 minutes.
Castellano notified his supervisor, Chief LuJuana Haselrig, concerning the pressure, and took the video to Limon so she may make the sheriff conscious in order that he would “not be caught off guard, if questioned,” the declare mentioned.
In a July 2021 inner report reviewed by The Occasions, Castellano wrote that officers had frightened on the time concerning the unfavorable publicity that might come from a deputy kneeling on a handcuffed man’s head, “given its nature and its similarities to extensively publicized George Floyd use of pressure.”
Castellano was subsequently focused for an administrative investigation. The declare alleges Limon and a captain would have backed up Castellano’s account however had been blocked by Villanueva from chatting with investigators. Castellano was given a written reprimand for “failing to correctly deal with an extreme pressure case.”
Castellano’s declare says he “felt an moral accountability” to report unlawful conduct by Villanueva and others in his report, and was subsequently subjected to retaliation for blowing the whistle.
In accordance with the declare, there’s a historical past between Castellano and the sheriff.
The declare says that “Sheriff Villanueva lengthy harbored animosity and a thirst for revenge towards” Castellano as a result of in 2015, when Villanueva was a lieutenant, Castellano reported him for failing to get medical support for an inmate who had been shocked with a Taser. The declare alleges Villanueva tried accountable the incident on Castellano, who was his supervisor on the time, by telling inner investigators Castellano had given him permission to violate division coverage. Villanueva was given a five-day suspension, however retired earlier than it was imposed, the declare mentioned.
“After Villanueva was elected sheriff ..., he moved rapidly to hide proof of the pending self-discipline and restricted the [Internal Affairs Bureau] investigation from LASD computer systems,” the declare mentioned, including that when Villanueva took workplace he pressured Castellano to “volunteer” to be demoted two ranks all the way down to lieutenant.
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