A recently released video of Emmet Brock of an incident that occurred on February 10, 2023.
It shows a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy aggressively throwing a transgender man to the ground during a traffic stop.
This fueled concerns about the ministry’s use of force.
The video describes a chain of events that led to the deputy subjecting the trans man to brute force, an incident that attorney Thomas Beck describes as “purely retaliatory”.
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The incident surrounding Brock’s arrest
Emmett Brock, a schoolteacher, was driving home when he saw the deputy “reprimanding a colored woman,” Beck said.
Brock knocked the deputy down, Beck said, causing the deputy to follow Brock.
The chase ended in a parking lot at 7-Eleven, where CCTV footage captured the confrontation between Brock and the deputy.
Emmet Brock’s video shows the deputy pinning Brock’s car then knocking him to the ground less than 20 seconds later.
The deputy came out of his cruiser, telling Brock, “Come here. I just stopped you. Brock responded by saying: “No, you didn’t.”
The deputy responded by grabbing him and throwing him to the ground. Brock is heard screaming during the fight, believing he was going to die, and repeatedly screamed for help.
The deputy hit Brock in the head several times.
Following the incident, Brock was charged with felony dismemberment, grievous bodily harm to a deputy, resisting arrest, and disobeying a lawful order.
Medical reports after the incident showed no evidence that Brock bit the deputy during the melee, as alleged by the deputy.
Claims that Brock bit the deputy only surfaced after 7-Eleven surveillance footage emerged.
In response to these allegations and accusations against the deputy, Beck called him a “Thin-skinned thug.”
He said the ministry and society should be concerned about excessive use of force.
Recent LASD Use of Force Incidents
Following the Brock incident, the LASD came under fire for two more use of force incidents.
In one incident, a deputy was seen on video slamming a woman to the ground in a Lancaster WinCo in June as deputies allegedly investigated a robbery.
An LASD deputy was filmed punching a mother in the face. The footage was taken over a year ago in Palmdale but was only recently released.
In both situations, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed that the affected deputies were relieved of their duties.
The impact on Brock
Beck is currently defending Brock against felony charges of dismemberment, grievous bodily harm to a deputy, resisting arrest, and disobeying a lawful order.
Plus, they plan for a civil lawsuit stemming from what Brock went through when he booked.
Beck claims that Brock’s identity as a transgender man was revealed during the booking process.
The deputies then demanded to see his genitals to prove it and took him to the women’s cell.
These events had significant consequences for Brock, including the loss of his teaching job, which he has not worked since, and a concussion.
According to Beck, Brock suffered brute force when he did nothing wrong, and now he stands defenseless against the charges.
LASD’s position on the incident
In response to the February incident involving Brock, the LASD released a statement stating, “The Department takes all incidents of use of force seriously.”
They added that they were investigating the allegations and information provided by Mr Brock and his lawyer.
However, due to ongoing litigation, they cannot comment further at this time.
Conclusion
Emmet Brock’s published video highlights excessive use of force, a concern for society. The incident happened in February, exposing the brutality of the department and its impact on the innocent.
LASD received criticism but intervened in other incidents, showing its commitment to change. The case of Emmet Brock illustrates the mishandling of transgender people by law enforcement.
Time will tell if Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna will work to root out the excesses within the department, ensuring the safety of all members of the public.
