A newly released Emmet Brock video over an incident that occurred on February 10, 2023. 

It shows a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy aggressively throwing a transgender man to the ground during a traffic stop. 

This has fueled concerns about the department’s use of force. 

The video depicts a chain of events that led to the deputy subjecting the trans man to brutal force, an incident that attorney Thomas Beck calls “purely retaliatory.”

The incident surrounding Brock’s arrest

Emmett Brock, a schoolteacher, was driving home when he saw the deputy “berating a woman of colour,” Beck said. 

Brock flipped off the deputy, Beck said, which led the deputy to follow Brock.

The chase ended at a 7-Eleven parking lot, where CCTV footage captured the confrontation between Brock and the deputy. 

The Emmet Brock video shows the deputy pinning Brock’s car and then throwing him to the ground less than 20 seconds later.

The deputy got out of his cruiser, telling Brock, “Come here. I just stopped you.” Brock responded, saying, “No, you didn’t.” 

The deputy responded by grabbing him, slamming him to the ground. Brock is heard screaming during the tussle, believing he was going to die, and repeatedly yelled for help. 

The deputy hit Brock in the head numerous times.

As a result of the incident, Brock faced charges of felony mayhem, causing serious injury to a deputy, resisting arrest, and failing to obey a lawful order. 

Medical reports after the incident showed no evidence that Brock bit the deputy during the melee, as alleged by the deputy.

The claims that Brock bit the deputy did not come forward until after the surveillance footage from the 7-Eleven was released.

In response to these allegations and accusations against the deputy, Beck called him a “thin-skinned thug.” 

He stated that the department and society should be concerned about the excessive use of force.

The LASD’s recent use of force incidents

Following Brock’s incident, LASD has experienced criticism for two other use-of-force incidents. 

In one incident, a deputy was seen on video slamming a woman to the ground at a Lancaster WinCo in June while deputies were purportedly investigating a robbery. 

An LASD deputy was caught on camera punching a mother in the face. The footage was taken over a year ago in Palmdale but only recently released.

In both situations, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna has confirmed that the involved deputies have been relieved of their duties.

The impact on Brock

Beck is currently defending Brock against the charges of felony mayhem, causing serious injury to a deputy, resisting arrest, and failing to obey a lawful order. 

Moreover, they are planning a civil suit stemming from what Brock went through while being booked. 

Beck claims that Brock’s identity as a transgender man was revealed during the booking process. 

Deputies then asked to see his genitalia to prove it and took him to the women’s detention cell.

These events led to significant consequences for Brock, including the loss of his job as a teacher, which he has not worked since, and a concussion. 

According to Beck, Brock suffered brutal force despite doing nothing wrong, and now he stands defenseless before the charges.

LASD’s stance on the incident

In response to the February incident involving Brock, the LASD issued a statement stating, “The Department takes all use-of-force incidents seriously.” 

They added they are investigating the allegations and information provided by Mr Brock and his attorney. 

However, due to the pending litigation, they cannot comment further at this time.

Conclusion

The released Emmet Brock video highlights the excessive use of force, a concern for society. The incident occurred in February, exposing department brutality and its impact on the innocent. 

LASD received criticism but intervened in other incidents, showing commitment to change. Emmet Brock’s case exemplifies mishandling of transgender individuals by law enforcement. 

Time will tell whether LA County Sheriff Robert Luna will work to eliminate excesses within the department, thereby guaranteeing the safety of all members of the public.