Eight LA sheriff’s deputies fired for 2023 arrest and beating of trans man Joseph Benza III, main officer involved in incident with Emmett Brock, pleaded guilty in federal court last week.
Deputy Joseph Benza III, the main officer involved in the incident with then 23-year-old Emmett Brock, pleaded guilty in federal court last week to one felony count of deprivation of rights under the color of law, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
In a statement announcing Benza’s guilty plea, the Los Angeles county sheriff Robert G Luna said that the deputy’s conduct “undermine[s] the integrity of our Department, the trust of our community, and the safety of those we are sworn to protect”.
At least eight deputies with the Los Angeles sheriff’s department have been dismissed for their roles in the arrest and beating of a transgender man in February 2023, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Benza and his terminated colleagues were alleged to have covered up details from the incident, including the reason for pulling Brock over on 10 February 2023, among other information.
