Context
The Los Angeles Sheriff s Department (LASD) told Snopes it was aware of viral footage supposedly showing a motorist calling a member of its department a murderer and telling him you ll aways be a Mexican, you ll never be white. However, whether the video captured an authentic moment between a civilian and LASD deputy remained under investigation.
Origin
On May 3, 2021, Bill Melugin, a Los Angeles-based correspondent for Fox News, tweeted a video that he said showed a woman berating a member of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) who had pulled her over in the eastern suburb of San Dimas.
Share and speak up for justice, law & order.
A Los Angeles County Deputy had an interesting encounter with a school teacher on what he thought was a routine traffic stop for her using her cell phone while driving.
As the deputy began to tell her why he pulled her over, she interrupted and said “because you’re a murderer.”
And it got worse from there. You can watch the encounter below:
Following the stop, the suspect, who has not yet been identified, filed a harassment complaint with the agency. That action, according to the department, is something this suspect has done in the past.
By Michael LucianoMay 3rd, 2021, 8:45 pm
Body camera footage from a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy captured an interaction with a motorist who repeatedly told the officer, who is Latino, that he’s a “murderer.” The footage was posted by Fox News’
Bill Melugin, who says he has identified the woman in the exchange but is choosing not to release her name at the moment.
The ugly incident happened in San Dimas, CA on April 23 (assuming the body camera’s time stamp is accurate) when a deputy pulled over a motorist for allegedly using her cell phone while driving, which is against the law. As the officer approaches the vehicle, the driver says she was going under the speed limit, which he acknowledges and tells her that wasn’t the issue. “I pulled you over because–”
Tweet
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has had his battles since taking the helm in 2019 of the 18,000 member county department. Villanueva came under fire when he moved to enforce the closure of gun stores during the 2020 pandemic and the subsequent Newsom statewide lockdowns. A Change.org petition was started to gain support to recall him but never received much traction. Villanueva has recently gained new favor with his support of crime victims who have been affected by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon’s Special Directives. Villanueva has also publicly supported the Gascon Recall efforts.
Despite this newfound goodwill, Eliezer “Eli” Vera, a Senior Staff Sheriff’s Deputy, is ready to take advantage of Villanueva’s inconsistent record and challenge him in 2022.
The watchdog group claims the Los Angeles County law enforcement agencies are blocking access to at least 1,000 records of claims and lawsuits filed by people alleging misconduct by police officers.
In this Sept. 17, 2020 file photo, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva comments on the investigation of the shooting of two deputies during a news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
LOS ANGELES (CN) A law enforcement and prison watchdog group sued the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and the Sheriff’s Department on Thursday alleging a pattern of unlawful restricting of public access to misconduct claims and lawsuits against the agencies.