LA sheriff's deputy fired and pleads guilty to federal civil rights violation in beating of trans man

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, Joseph Benza III, has been fired and agreed to plead guilty to a federal civil rights violation for using excessive force against a transgender man, Emmett Brock, during a 2023 arrest. Benza was charged with one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law. Following the incident, which involved Benza body slamming and punching Brock, other deputies have also been relieved of duty. The sheriff's department is conducting an internal investigation into the actions of Benza and potentially other officers involved in the incident. Benza's plea agreement reveals he lied in his incident report, omitting details about Brock flipping him off and falsely claiming Brock bit him. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and will return to court on January 17.