New video shows the moments leading up to a deputy seen slamming a woman to the ground during an arrest at a Lancaster grocery store.
The confrontation happened on June 24 when deputies responded to reports of an in-progress robbery at a WinCo Foods store located at 740 W. Ave. K 4.
Body cam footage shows deputies confronting the woman in the grocery store’s parking lot in an incident that some believe was an unjustified use of force.
After viewing video of the arrest, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna called the incident “disturbing.”
An attorney representing the deputy said new security footage of the moments leading up to the incident not only provides more context for the arrest, but justifies the actions taken by the deputy.
“Upon arrival, deputies approached a man and a woman matching the description given by store security personnel in calls placed to 911,” said LASD. “As deputies attempted to detain the individuals described by store security personnel, the encounter escalated into a use of force incident.”
Body cam and bystander video shows the deputy grabbing the woman by the neck and throwing her down towards the pavement during the arrest.
As the woman yells in protest while claiming she did nothing wrong, the approaching deputy is heard saying, “Stop or you’re going to get punched in the face.”
He eventually uses pepper spray on her face while the woman remains on the ground before handcuffing her.
The woman and another man were suspected of shoplifting and fighting with store employees before workers contacted the police.
The bodycam footage was released by LASD on July 4 along with a press conference to address the violent incident.
LASD Sheriff Luna said a use-of-force investigation had begun and the California State Attorney General had been notified of the case.
“It’s disturbing,” Luna said at the press conference. “There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
The new security footage released from inside the WinCo store shows the moments leading up to the violent altercation.
“It’s a little bit disturbing that the sheriff did not or chose not to release this video,” said Tom Yu, the attorney representing the deputy involved.
The security footage was released to KTLA by Yu. In the video, Yu said it appears to show the woman in question speaking with store security before shoving one of them as she tried to walk around him.
Seconds later, she appears to pull down her facemask and spit on the security guard before walking away, Yu said.
That’s when workers called the police to report a robbery. Yu said the new footage justifies the deputy’s use of force while arresting the woman.
“The deputies knew that there was a robbery that had just occurred,” said Yu. “These two people were just involved and that part of their involvement was fighting with loss prevention staff. That’s what deputies heard and saw on their computers inside their car and they’re responding to code three which means lights and sirens.”
But some community members disagree, believing the confrontation involved unnecessary and excessive use of force.
LASD confirmed both deputies involved that day were removed from their patrol detail as the investigation remains ongoing.
The male and female suspects were arrested on charges of petty theft and battery of store staff.
Yu believes the sheriff’s department’s continued investigation into the matter is the result of Luna caving to political pressure.
“Given those political issues and the political climate of this county, I think he was forced to throw my client and other deputy personnel under the bus for something that is completely justified,” he said.
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the case as well.