Over the last several months, evidence of other groups has surfaced, including at the Palmdale and East Los Angeles stations. Three decades ago, a federal judge said a deputy group known as the Vikings was a “neo-Nazi, white supremacist gang.” The county has denied allegations the deputies beat the plaintiff, Sheldon Lockett, or used racial slurs against him.Ĭoordinated ink has long been part of a fraternity subculture in the Sheriff’s Department, where exclusive groups - with monikers like the Jump Out Boys, Grim Reapers, and Regulators - have been accused of glorifying an aggressive style of policing. The county and the Sheriff’s Department have traditionally shied away from acknowledging whether the groups may be linked to unlawful or out-of-policy behavior.Īnother excessive force case involving the same deputies is pending in federal court.
The county corrective action plan, which provides a summary about why a settlement is justified, makes no mention of Aldama’s tattoo or the existence of an inked group at the Compton station. County counsel, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment. Sweeney said he believes the revelations about the tattooed group of Compton deputies contributed to the high settlement amount.
COMPTON COURTHOUSE TATTOO FULL
“The county was wise to have settled this case because full exposure of this clique or gang may have resulted in a floodgate of litigation against the County of Los Angeles,” he said. John Sweeney, an attorney for the family, said he is pleased with the conclusion of the case. Aldama is still a patrol deputy in Compton. The department did not provide a comment about the settlement. The case settled before any of that information emerged. The family said in the lawsuit that Taylor was never armed at any time during the encounter.Ī judge in the case sided with Taylor’s family in ruling that the Sheriff’s Department must reveal whether they know the names of deputies who have matching skull tattoos at the Compton station. The department found the shooting was within policy but faulted the deputies’ tactics in splitting up during the foot pursuit, according to the county document. Prosecutors declined to file criminal charges after determining the deputies acted reasonably. Sheriff’s officials said tests on Taylor’s pockets and waistband turned up gunshot residue that was consistent with a handgun, according to the district attorney’s office. No weapon was found on Taylor or at the scene.
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