L.A. Sheriff's Staff Raised Red Flags About Jail Brutality 2 Years Ago

Despite his claims to the contrary, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca's command staff raised alarms about excessive force used on inmates in the nation's largest jail system about two years ago, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The Times obtained internal memos and documents that "contain disturbing evidence of misconduct in the jails, including cases in which deputies used unnecessary force, then escaped punishment because of shoddy investigations by supervisors." Here's an excerpt:

One of the reports audited more than 100 violent encounters with inmates and found that deputies crafted narratives "dramatized to justify" force. In some cases, the jailers purposely delayed using weapons that could end fights, like pepper spray and stun guns, "to dispense appropriate jailhouse 'justice,' " the report said.

The report contradicts Sheriff's Baca's statements during an interview with the Times earlier this month that his command staff failed to keep him in the loop on potential jailhouse abuse.

Related:

L.A. County Sheriff Hammers Command Staff In Newspaper Interview