An LA Instances reporter is allegedly below police investigation after writing a report a few declare filed by a Los Angeles County sheriff's commander accusing the sheriff of obstructing justice.

The reporter, Alene Tchekmedyian, wrote an article on Monday that detailed the occasions of an incident in March 2021 involving a deputy kneeling on the pinnacle of a handcuffed inmate.

It was reported that the incident was saved below wraps for a number of months, and a authorized declare was filed on April 25 by deputy Allen Castellano, accusing the Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva of collaborating within the cover-up.

On Tuesday, Sheriff Villanueva introduced in a information convention that he was investigating Tchekmedyian "in reference to a leak of knowledge," in response to NPR reporter Frank Stoltze on Twitter.

A photograph by Stoltze posted on Twitter confirmed Villanueva referencing an image of the LA Instances reporter throughout the convention below the heading "WHAT DID THEY KNOW AND WHEN DID THEY KNOW IT?", which Stoltze wrote, "is a unprecedented escalation within the sheriff's assault not solely on the paper but in addition on the First Modification."

It was reported that Villanueva is allegedly below investigation by the county's inspector basic to find out if he had, in reality, lied about the timeframe wherein he turned conscious of the incident.

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Based on studies, the altercation occurred on March 10, 2021, on the San Fernando Courthouse. Two inmates weren't complying throughout a routine search, and Los Angeles County Deputy Douglas Johnson ordered one inmate, Enzo Escalante, to face the wall, the LA Instances reported. Safety video obtained by the LAInstances confirmed Escalante turning and punching Johnson within the face a number of occasions.

Johnson and several other different deputies pushed Escalante to the bottom facedown. The Instances reported that Johnson saved his knee on Escalante's head for 3 minutes after he was handcuffed.

The declare then alleged that Villanueva, one other lieutenant, Undersheriff Tim Murakami and Assistant Sheriff Robin Limon all seen the video of the incident simply 5 days after it occurred.

Tchekmedyian's article said that in an inner report from July 2021, Castellano mentioned that, on the time, officers allegedly had issues concerning the dangerous publicity that may come from the information of the incident, "given its nature and its similarities to extensively publicized George Floyd use of pressure."

The incident occurred across the identical time because the trial in opposition to former police officer Derek Chauvin for Floyd's homicide.

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An LA Instances reporter is reportedly below investigation relating to "leaked data" about an alleged cover-up by the Los Angeles County Sheriff. On this photograph, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva (L) speaks with Councilmember Joe Buscaino throughout the Watts Juneteenth Road Truthful on June 19, 2021, within the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP through Getty Photos

Nevertheless, Villanueva claimed that he didn't see the video till November 2021 when he ordered a legal investigation into Deputy Johnson.

Based on Fox 11, Villanueva admitted that errors had been made within the investigation of Johnson however stood by the declare that the altercation came about in November, across the identical time that he claims he was made conscious of it.

"There was a use of pressure investigation, an administrative investigation," Villanueva mentioned. "It was initiated roughly in the timeframe it ought to have been initiated. Nevertheless, alongside the best way early on, one thing didn't occur, which was a vetting of this case for a doable legal investigation...That didn't occur when it was purported to occur."

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Division informed Newsweek they "can not remark at the moment."