8 Deputies Fired in Trans Man Assault Scandal
beating and arrest of a transgender man in a 7-Eleven parking lot.Last month, former Sheriff’s Deputy Joseph Benza III indicated that he intends to plead guilty to one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law when he next appears in court on January 17, 2025.The charge, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, stems from an incident on February 10, 2023, in which the 36-year-old deputy assaulted and used “excessive force” to subdue and arrest Emmet Brock, a 23-year-old high school teacher, after Brock flipped him the middle finger.
As part of his plea agreement, Benza — who has been released on $50,000 bond — admitted that he lied to FBI investigators, who were looking into Brock’s allegations of civil rights violations, by making false statements about the incident.
He also claimed that other deputies and sergeants helped cover up the misconduct.As previously reported by the Los Angeles Times, Benza consulted with other deputies, who allegedly advised him to omit the fact that Brock had flipped him the middle finger from his report, instead claiming that he stopped Brock for having an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror.Benza later told investigators that a sergeant had written “substantive portions” of the incident and arrest report.
In that report, Benza claimed that Brock had bitten him with enough force to break the skin — an assertion that was not backed up by a paramedic’s report or a physician’s assistant at the hospital where Brock and Benza were treated for injuries — in an attempt to justify charging Brock with “criminal mayhem.”Benza also discussed with other deputies how they would delete text messages and other correspondence about the incident, and their plans to make false statements to FBI investigators, from their phones.The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that not only Benza has been fired, but so have “multiple”other deputies.
