Sheriff’s investigation opened into Lancaster grocery store altercation
Video of a confrontation involving Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies in a Lancaster grocery store parking lot is now part of a departmental use of force investigation.
Witness and body-worn camera videos captured the encounter June 24 when deputies from the Lancaster Sheriff's Station responded to a 911 report of a robbery at a WinCo store in the 700 block of West Avenue. Deputies approached a man and woman in the parking lot who matched a description provided by store security of the person sought in the robbery report, according to the department.
As deputies tried to detain the man and woman in the parking lot, the "encounter escalated into a use of force," according to the sheriff's department. Body-worn camera video shows deputies placing the man in handcuffs before they approach a woman who appeared to be recording the arrest on her phone.
"You can't touch me," the woman told the deputies as she was grabbed.
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Witness video showed her being thrown to the ground seconds later.
"It's not a fight. You threw me down to the ground. Stop manhandling me," the woman told deputies before she was sprayed with pepper spray.
A witness who recorded video of the encounter said she earlier heard loud talking at the front of the store before the law enforcement response. One person could be heard saying, "I didn't steal anything," Michelle Garrett told NBCLA.
Garrett said she later saw the man and woman approached by deputies in the parking lot and began recording from her car.
"It was really intense. It was scary," she said. "I just couldn't believe my eyes.
"When he slammed her down, I was like ‘Ah, my god.'"
Garrett said she does not know the man and woman.
The sheriff's department issued the following statement: "The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has opened an investigation into this incident. While the Department does not make statements related to ongoing investigations, Sheriff Luna has made it clear that he expects Department personnel to treat all members of the public with dignity and respect, and that personnel who do not uphold our training standards will be held accountable. In the interest of transparency with our community, the Sheriff’s Department is releasing body-worn camera video from the incident."
Both deputies were re-assigned from field duty, pending further administrative review, the sheriff's department said.
NBCLA has reached out to the department to confirm whether the two individuals seen in the video were arrested. It was not immediately clear what led to the initial robbery report and 911 calls.
NBCLA also reached out to WinCo, but did not hear back early Tuesday afternoon.
Source: NBC Southern California
