Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been scheduled to testify under oath on Friday regarding alleged gang-like groups of deputies accused of operating within the department for years.
Max Huntsman, the inspector general appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to oversee the sheriff’s department, issued a subpoena for Villanueva’s testimony under oath in February 2021, but the sheriff had consistently dismissed it as politically motivated in nature.Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
The inspector general’s office has attempted to catalog at least 18 deputy gangs or subgroups, which have monikers including the Banditos and the Executioners, under the concern that they "foster a culture that resists police reforms, such as community policing or constitutional policing, by encouraging and even celebrating aggressive tactics and excessive use of force against minority communities.