Former Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Eric Gonzalez was sentenced to eight years in state prison on Monday for his role in the
vicious beating of a visitor to the L.A. County Men's Jail four years ago.
Prosecutors argued that Gonzalez supervised the deputies who beat Gabriel Carrillo who had come to the jail to visit his brother. They also say that Gonzalez took part in the beating.
Carrillo says he had forgotten that he had his cell phone still on him as he was wating in the visitor's lobby. His girlfriend who had accompanied him to the jail was also found to have had a cell phone on her person, tucked into her boot. Visitors are barred from bringing cell phones into all jail and prison facilities in the state.
Carrillo says the two were arrested and taken into a break room where a deputy pushed him into a refrigerator. At that point, Carrillo says he mouthed off to the officers, which is when the beating commenced.
Below the fold is video taken by the L.A. Sheriff's Deputies after Carrillo's assault. He denies knowing who beat him up.
Two other sheriff's deputies, Sussie Ayala and Fernando Luviano, were also convicted along with Gonzalez in June of this year. They are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
According to the L.A.Times the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge George H. King, stated that the incident was a " ... blatant crime, no different than one committed by any street criminal, except that it was worse because it was committed by a law enforcement officer.”
Prosecutors also said that Gonzalez boasted of the assault and sent a picture of the bloodied Carrillo to other deputies.
As cops across the country continue to howl over intense scrutiny of their actions - the good actions and the utterly horrific ones - its nice to know that a few of them will have some time on their hands to sit and reflect deeply on the part they have played in this mess.
Here's the interview of Castillo: