LA County Sheriff's Deputy Faces Jail Time After Allegedly Filing False Report, Committing Perjury

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)  —  An LA County Sheriff's Deputy is facing jail time after being accused of filing a false report and committing perjury during a 2012 arrest.

The deputy, namely Gregory Rodriguez, claimed Christopher Gray was trying to free two men from the back seat of a patrol car after they'd been arrested on August 23, 2012. Rodriguez also claimed Gray was inciting crowd and threatening deputies.

On Tuesday, prosecutors said deputy Gregory Rodriguez, was charged with two felonies -- filing a false police report and committing perjury.

Video obtained by the LA Times shows Gray did none of these things – but was arrested anyway.

Attorney Olu K. Orange showed the video to KCA9's Jennifer Kastner, the first time it's been seen in public.

The video, Kastner reported, proves that the deputy was caught in a lie.

Gray is seen with his shirt off--arms folded... He is calmly standing and watching as LASD deputies process suspects in the back of a patrol car.

He's asked to move to the sidewalk. He refuses. Gray is handcuffed but peace and order are maintained throughout.

"The only reason someone would think they could get away with it is if they'd gotten away with it before or they know that the discipline system in the department is so lax that they'd likely get away with it this time," said Orange

Prosecutors allege that Rodriguez "knowingly and intentionally" included statements in the police report that he knew were untrue, according to the criminal complaint.

If convicted, he faces up to four years and eight months in jail.

During the arrest, deputies severely injured Gray's shoulder, according to attorney Orange.

Rodriguez has been relieved of duty since April 2014, and he was notified last month that his pay would be suspended.

Gray spent about five days in jail, Orange said. Criminal charges against him were later dropped.

While in jail, Gray, a father of two, lost his job and has been unable to afford shoulder surgery, Orange said.

In October 2013, Gray filed a lawsuit against the county and the Sheriff's Department. Gray settled for about $550,000 in January.

Deputy Rodriguez was on paid administrative leave until May. He'll be arraigned June 18th.