Compton City Leaders Call For State, Federal Investigation Into Sheriff's Station
COMPTON (CBSLA) — Compton city leaders Tuesday called for an investigation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Compton Station by state and federal agencies over allegations of excessive force and discrimination.
"I don't even know what I'm being arrested for, because I fit the damn description," Derrick Cooper, a Compton resident and basketball coach, said. "They had the audacity to arrest me in front of my babies.
"She hopped out the car very aggressive with her gun drawn, like, for no reason," Jermelle Henderson, a restaurant owner said. "I told her she was treating me like a criminal. I didn't do anything."
But community members and business owners are not the only ones who have been stopped by deputies.
"I asked, 'Well, why am I being pulled over,'" Compton Mayor Aja Brown said. "And they said, 'Because we believe that there are drugs in your vehicle.'"
Compton residents and city leaders said they were fed up, frustrated and angry about alleged discrimination, excessive force and improper stops by sheriff's department deputies.
Compton officials also said they believe that sheriff's department employees at the station are part of a gang.
"The known organized gang activity, called The Executioners, that are running rampant and running the Compton sheriff's department," Brown said.
The sheriff's department said it was aware of the allegations and has launched multiple investigations, the results of which it said would be released when "legally permissible."
Brown said the city pays the sheriff's department $22 million per year and they want accountability.