Retaliation against Gonzalez, the claim states, forced him to step down from his field training officer position. … Members become inked as ‘Executioners’ after executing members of the public, or otherwise committing acts of violence in furtherance of the gang.” “‘Inking’ refers to the act of each newly made member of The Executioners receiving a matching tattoo indicating membership in the organization. “Nearly all the CPT Deputies who have been involved in high-profile shootings and out-of-policy beatings at CPT in recent years have been ‘inked’ members of The Executioners,” the claim alleges. Black and female deputies are not allowed in the clique, the claim says. Many work at night, the claim says, and communicate through WhatsApp. Gonzalez’s claim alleges the Compton station clique numbers about 20 deputies, while 20 more are prospects or associates. Inspector General Max Huntsman said Thursday that he is “aware of no implementation whatsoever” of the policy and that his office can’t effectively investigate the secret societies “because of the obstruction of the Sheriff’s Department.” He said the criminal investigation of Banditos members who were allegedly involved in an off-duty beating in 2018 amounted to a “cover-up,” noting that more than 20 deputies were not required to give statements. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said during a live Facebook broadcast Wednesday that “there is no gang of any deputies running any station.” But he said that he was disturbed by the allegations in the claim and that “swift administrative action” is being taken. “It essentially controls scheduling, the distribution of informant tips, and assignments to deputies in the station with preference shown to members of the gang as well as prospects.” “We have a gang here that has grown to the point where it dominates every aspect of life at the Compton station,” said Alan Romero, an attorney representing Gonzalez in the claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit. The existence of such fraternities has sparked multiple internal investigations and recently a federal probe by the FBI, but the groups have remained entrenched, with many civil liberties advocates accusing the Sheriff’s Department of turning a blind eye. The allegations have revived long-standing concerns that inked deputy groups - with monikers such as the Spartans, Regulators, Grim Reapers and Banditos - operate out of several Sheriff’s Department stations and represent what many in the community see as criminal gangs within law enforcement.
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