Shocking Footage Shows Los Angeles County Deputy Slams Old Woman to Ground When Responding to Robbery Incident

A shocking cell phone video that is raising concerns shows a Los Angeles County deputy slamming a woman accused of larceny to the ground and holding her there outside a Lancaster grocery store.

Lisa Michelle Garrett, who captured the video, claims she previously worked in security. She began recording when she observed several loss-prevention officers escorting the couple out of the grocery store.

LA County Deputy Slammed an Old Woman to the Ground

(Photo : VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
A black vehicle covered with stickers is cornered by police cars at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard where a body covered in a white sheet lies next to it in Los Angeles on April 24, 2021 in what appears to be an officer-involved shooting. (not the actual photo)

Per Fox LA, the video shows that the male was handcuffed, but the incident took an unexpected turn when the woman was handcuffed.

In the video depicting the altercation between Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies and the couple, the woman can be heard yelling about her rights as the LASD deputy approached her. The deputy then flung her to the ground and doused her face with pepper spray.

According to Daily Mail, the incident occurred outside of a WinCo store in Lancaster on June 24, approximately 73 miles north of Los Angeles. Unidentified male and female theft suspects were apprehended outside the store; their names and ages were not disclosed.

The individual appears to become agitated and asks why he is being detained, prompting a deputy to tell him to "calm down." The responding officers are seen handcuffing him before approaching the woman who is recording the incident on her phone.

As the confrontation continues, the deputy pepper sprays the woman while she also claims that she "cannot breathe" and that the deputy had his knee on her neck. On a cell phone video, a person can be heard stating that the woman has cancer and pleading with others not to "hammer her down like that."

In a statement, the sheriff's office said that the involved deputies have been reassigned and are awaiting further administrative review.

LAPD Attorney: Police Misconduct Allegations are False

Sheriff Robert Luna has made it clear that he expects Department personnel to treat all members of the public with dignity and respect and that personnel who fail to uphold our training standards will be held accountable.

The deputies have already retained an attorney, Tom Yu, who asserts that the allegations of police misconduct, in this case, are false.

Yu told ABC7 that there is a narrative stating, "The deputies attacked her because she was recording. She is not a helpless party. She is engaged. She is being held in connection with this robbery investigation."

Yu asserts that if she had followed instructions, the force would not have been employed. KTLA reports that a protest demanding accountability for the involved deputies will be conducted outside the same store on Wednesday.