Assault charges filed against deputies accused of punching and kicking inmate

[cory777]

Source: LA Times

By Jack Leonard
April 5, 2010

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has quietly filed assault charges against three sheriff's deputies accused of punching and kicking a jail inmate after he was disrespectful to a guard, according to court records.

Prosecutors have built their case around a sheriff's deputy who told investigators he witnessed the beating and later met with other deputies to discuss how to cover it up, the records show.

The charges mark a rare criminal filing against deputies working in the jails: It is the third excessive-force prosecution of jail deputies in a decade, according to law enforcement records and interviews. Inmates frequently allege that deputies have used excessive force, but law enforcement officials say such cases are difficult to prove or prosecute.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jail-beating5-2010apr05,0,2544475.story

[tomm2thumbs]

1. folks need to be trained better if they are losing their cool so easily

The trouble this caused was a lose/lose for everyone concerned. Literally everyone.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Especially for the victim of their rage and violence

These 'folks' are fully trained. They committed a crime of aggression, and the time line does not suggest a burst of lost cool but a systemic and planned attack.
The LASD is the 7th largest law enforcement agency in the nation. Their training is an 18 week process and does in fact present 'detention specific' training.
If you wish to blame their training, you will need to be much, much more specific. Hundreds of LASD deputies do not 'lose their cool' as they supervise thousands of prisoners. What is the difference, as they all have the exact same training? Such criminal charges are amazingly rare. Which would indicate that the training is relatively good.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Proves even a very small amount of power over others can seduce and corrupt

the people who seek to wield it over their fellow men/women.

People of strong, good character do NOT conduct themselves that way. Impossible.

What a shame to give scum power to harm others. No one benefits but the scum, and those who worship power by identification: right-wingers.

[okieinpain]

4. depends on what the inmate did to make them mad. n/t.

[armodem08]

5. Rare charges, because they usually don't have a witness willing to testify.

They usually just get together and lie it off. This time, someone with a conscience happened to be there. Sad it doesn't happen more often...