Sheriff Alex Villanueva faces new claim of cover-up of excessive force from former top advisor

A brand new witness has come ahead to dispute Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s claims that he wasn’t concerned in masking up an incident of extreme power involving a deputy, and the whistleblower is coming from inside the division, the Los Angeles Instances reported.

A authorized submitting from former Assistant Sheriff Robin Limon, whom the Instances stated was “as soon as certainly one of Villanueva’s closest advisors,” claims she personally watched a DVD containing “a video of a deputy kneeling on a handcuffed inmate’s neck … 5 days after the incident occurred” with the sheriff.

Limon “personally walked it into his workplace, watched the DVD with him, shared disgust with what they’re seeing within the video, however then additionally heard him say this could look dangerous if it acquired out to the media,” Limon’s lawyer, Vincent Miller, instructed KTLA.

Villanueva has claimed he didn’t be taught of the March 2021 incident for a number of months afterward, and took speedy motion as soon as he did, an assertion Limon’s submitting undercuts.

The brand new submitting helps one other declare by sheriff’s Commander Allan Castellano, who reported that Villanueva was conscious of the incident, however Castellano was not within the room when Villanueva watched the video.

Information of this second submitting comes days after a information convention by which Villanueva asserted that the claims of obstruction of justice and retaliation in opposition to him, and the investigation undertaken by the county’s Workplace of the Inspector Basic, are politically motivated.

In that convention, Villanueva introduced he’s investigating the Los Angeles Instances for working “in live performance and coordination” with the inspector common’s workplace to harm his marketing campaign earlier than votes are forged within the June 7 main.

Villanueva has additionally taken motion in opposition to Limon, demanding that she retire or be demoted 4 ranks to lieutenant, the Instances reported.

“He’s really framed her to make it appear to be she’s the one who did the cover-up, and never himself,” Limon’s lawyer instructed the Instances.

A spokesperson for Villanueva declined to remark, citing two civil lawsuits and a number of investigations.

“We sit up for presenting the details in courtroom,” the spokesperson’s assertion added.