An attorney representing a Los Angeles deputy accused of police brutality has claimed a newly surfaced video of the incident “justifies” the officer’s use of force.
The incident occurred June 24, after deputies with the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station responded to an in-progress robbery at a local grocery store, a press release for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) stated. When officers arrived, they approached a man and a woman who fit the description of the suspects and tried to detain them, the release continued.
Body cam footage released by the LASD on July 4 showed officers handcuffing a man while a woman stood nearby, filming the arrest. Officers then apparently grabbed the woman by the neck and brought her down to the ground as she cried out she had done nothing wrong. The officers replied, “Stop or you’re going to get punched in the face.” The woman was eventually pepper sprayed by officers, KTLA reported. (RELATED: Watch Angry Customers Tackle Shoplifting Suspect)
That footage sparked an outcry and launched an investigation into the officer involved. However, the accused deputy’s lawyer Tom Yu claims newly released footage from inside the store has shed light on the altercation.
New video shows the moments leading up to a deputy slamming a woman to the ground during an arrest in Lancaster. The deputy’s attorney says the video justifies his actions.https://t.co/A9FMrEjPTX
— KTLA (@KTLA) July 20, 2023
In the new footage, the same woman can be seen inside the store being approached by security officials. When confronted, the woman apparently roughly shoves one of them and attempts to walk away. Moments later, the woman pulls down her face mask and apparently spits on one of the security officials before walking away, according to KTLA.
“It’s a little bit disturbing that the sheriff did not or chose not to release this video,” Yu said, per the outlet.
“The deputies knew that there was a robbery that had just occurred,” Yu continued. “These two people were just involved and that part of their involvement was fighting with loss prevention staff. That’s what deputies heard and saw on their computers inside their car and they’re responding to code three which means lights and sirens,” Yu continued.
Yu accused the LASD of “caving to pressure” in launching an investigation into his client’s actions.
“Given those political issues and the political climate of this county, I think [L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna] was forced to throw my client and other deputy personnel under the bus for something that is completely justified,” Yu continued.