A disturbing video has emerged, revealing a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy throwing a transgender man to the ground during a routine traffic stop.
The incident, which occurred on February 10, 2023, has sparked outrage and calls for accountability.
Emmett Brock, a teacher, was driving home when he witnessed a deputy "berating" a woman. In response, Brock flipped the deputy off. In a surprising turn of events, the law enforcement officer began following Brock, eventually pulling him over for having an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror, according to a report by KTTV-TV.
Feeling uneasy about the deputy's actions, Brock called 911 to report that he was being followed by a police car. Deputy Joseph Benza stopped Brock in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven. Surveillance footage captured the encounter, showing Benza using his cruiser to pin Brock's vehicle and forcefully throwing him to the ground within 20 seconds. The video also shows Benza repeatedly punching Brock in the head.
Brock's attorney, Thomas Beck, described the incident as a clear case of excessive force. "He must've punched him eight to ten times in the head, maliciously," Beck stated. "There was no reason for the contact. It was purely retaliatory."
Following the assault, Benza placed Brock in his cruiser and booked him on charges of mayhem, causing serious injury to a deputy, resisting arrest, and failing to obey a lawful order. However, Brock maintains that he did nothing to warrant such treatment.
The injustice continued when Brock informed jail employees that he was a transgender man. Shockingly, they demanded to examine his genitals before placing him in a women's detention cell. As a result of the pending charges, Brock was fired from his teaching job after the school was notified.
Reflecting on the incident, Brock expressed the profound impact it had on his life. "I lost so much of myself that day in the parking lot," he said. "But I love what I do, and it is kind of how I define myself and for that to be taken away? It felt like I had just lost everything."
In response to the incident, the deputy claimed that Brock had bitten him during the altercation. However, medical reports show no evidence of any injuries sustained by the deputy. As a result, Brock plans to sue the sheriff's department for their mistreatment of him while in custody.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released a statement acknowledging the seriousness of the incident. "The Department is investigating the information and allegations brought forward by Mr. Brock and his attorney," the statement read. "Unfortunately, we cannot comment any further at this time due to the pending litigation in this matter."
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