The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department may face a federal civil rights probe that will look into claims that Antelope Valley deputies harassed black residents living in government-subsidized housing.
Assistant Atty. Gen. Thomas E. Perez said investigators would examine data to determine whether minorities accounted for a disproportionate share of misdemeanor and obstruction arrests. Arrests solely related to obstruction charges are seen as potential indicators of racial bias.
A county monitor last year issued a report showing that 64% of obstruction-related arrests in Lancaster involved blacks, while only 42% of all arrests involved blacks, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Source: Los Angeles Times