[LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has agreed to plead guilty to a federal civil rights violation for using excessive force on a transgender man who was arrested in 2023 under false pretenses and strip-searched.
According to the plea agreement, Deputy Joseph Benza III, 36, was responding to a potential domestic violence disturbance call when he saw 23-year-old Emmett Brock, aka E.B., flip him off. Benza abandoned the call and followed Brock for nearly two miles, confronting him in a 7-Eleven parking lot and body-slamming him to the ground.
Brock, a transgender man, suffered a concussion, bruising, cuts, and was left vomiting as a result of the incident. Benza’s report and testimony were found to be false and misleading, including claiming that Brock had bit him and tried to rip his skin off his hand, which medical records later showed was not true.
The Department of Justice charged Benza with one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law, which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Benza will return to court on January 17 and is expected to plead guilty. He was released on $50,000 bond.
The incident has led to an internal administrative investigation and several other deputies and sergeants have been relieved of duty. At least eight employees were let go, although the department would not confirm the exact number. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department called Benza’s actions “deeply troubling” and said they undermine the integrity of the department and the trust of the community.
The case highlights a pattern of similar incidents at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, with several other deputies and sergeants involved in the cover-up. The authorities are now investigating allegations of excessive force, harassment, and retaliation against LGBTQ individuals.
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