LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is accusing DA George Gascón of withholding the results of investigations into three deputy-involved shootings.
But the District Attorney's Office issued a statement denying any wrongdoing and saying "many lies" were told during Villanueva's downtown Los Angeles news conference on Thursday.
"Many of these cases were also cited as contributing factors for calls for my resignation and for Measure A being placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors and Citizens Oversight Commission," Villanueva said. Measure A on Tuesday's ballot would give the board authority to remove an elected sheriff from office under certain circumstances.
Gascón was vocal during his campaign for district attorney about being more aggressive in prosecuting law enforcement officers involved in shootings and use-of-force incidents. An effort to recall him over his progressive policies recently fell short of the valid number of petition signatures to put the matter on the ballot.
"A filing decision is not final unless the district attorney has signed off on it," Blacknell said. "After a final decision is made, out of respect for the family we make every effort to contact them before that information is disseminated to the press." The other cases Villanueva claims have been resolved by prosecutors but withheld from the public are the investigations into the 2018 shooting of 16-year-old Anthony Weber in the Westmont area; the 2020 fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee, also in the Westmont area; and a 2021 use-of-force by a deputy against inmate Enzo Escalante at a San Fernando courthouse that was caught on surveillance video and led to allegations of a cover-up by Villanueva, who has denied any such effort.
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