2 Ex-LA Sheriff’s Deputies Face Federal Civil Rights Charges

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies are accused of violating the civil rights of a skateboarder in 2020 and perpetrating a coverup, federal prosecutors mentioned Thursday.

A grand jury handed down the indictment final month, and each ex-deputies surrendered to authorities Thursday when it was unsealed.

Miguel Vega and Christopher Hernandez are accused of throwing the skateboarder — recognized as “J.A.” in courtroom papers — behind their cruiser and detaining him with out trigger in 2020 in Compton. He was nonetheless within the patrol automobile once they then engaged in a pursuit and crashed the automobile, injuring the skateboarder. Prosecutors say the duo then conspired to coverup the then-23-year-old man’s illegal detention.

Vega, 32, and Hernandez, 37, are charged with conspiracy, deprivation of rights underneath shade of legislation, witness tampering and falsification of data. Vega is charged with one other falsification of data rely. Their attorneys didn’t reply to an emailed request for remark Thursday.

The identical ex-deputies have been concerned within the deadly capturing of an 18-year-old man later that yr throughout a foot chase. Authorities say Vega shot Andres Guardadofive occasions within the again after the deputies chased him on foot. Guardado’s killing sparked protests, and his household settled a lawsuit with the county for $8 million.

The federal indictment was first reported Thursday by the Los Angeles Occasions. Vega and Hernandez are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon.

The deputies remained on energetic responsibility till December 2020, the LA Occasions reported.

“The indictment alleges that these two deputies violated an adolescent’s constitutional rights by willfully and illegally detaining him with out simply trigger,” U.S. Lawyer Martin Estrada mentioned in a information launch. “Officers who abuse their energy should be held accountable, and my Workplace is dedicated to prosecuting violations of civil rights by those that violate their oaths and victimize those that they have been sworn to guard.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division didn’t instantly have a remark after the indictment was unsealed.

On April 13, 2020, Vega and Hernandez approached two younger Black males exterior a Compton skatepark. J.A., who was contained in the enclosed park, yelled on the deputies to go away the boys alone.

The deputies pulled J.A. by way of a gap within the fence and threw him into the again of the cruiser, prosecutors mentioned.

“Vega and Hernandez didn’t handcuff J.A., didn’t safe J.A.’s seatbelt, didn’t inform J.A. that J.A. was underneath arrest, and didn’t inform J.A. of J.A.’s rights at any time,” in keeping with the indictment.

Vega, the driving force, advised J.A. that they’d drop him off in gang territory as Hernandez, from the passenger seat, advised the skateboarder that he’d be overwhelmed, prosecutors mentioned. Then Vega — with J.A. nonetheless within the backseat — started pursuing a bicyclist down an alley, the place the deputy crashed the automobile.

J.A. suffered a reduce above his proper eye within the collision, in keeping with the indictment. Vega pulled him out of the cruiser and advised him to go away, however the deputy later reported {that a} suspect with a gun — describing J.A.’s garments — had fled the world. Neither deputy mentioned the skateboarder had been contained in the patrol automobile throughout the crash.

Vega then advised a sergeant that J.A. was suspected of being underneath the affect of a managed substance, prosecutors mentioned. They mentioned Hernandez later directed one other deputy to jot down him a quotation for being underneath the affect of methamphetamine after J.A. was taken to the hospital for his reduce.

Prosecutors additionally allege that Vega and Hernandez falsified incident experiences later within the month, inaccurately claiming, amongst different issues, that J.A. had threatened to hurt individuals within the skatepark.