Allegations of Assault Against LA Sheriff’s Deputies
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking into a disturbing incident involving a Valencia man who was allegedly attacked outside a local bar. This assault, which took place last Thanksgiving, has resulted in a federal lawsuit against several deputies.
Parker Saitz, a 25-year-old individual, claims in his lawsuit that on his last Thanksgiving, sheriff’s deputies assaulted him outside a bar named the Breakroom. He has reported suffering serious injuries as documented in a complaint submitted to the Central District of California on August 25.
Saitz is seeking unspecified damages from the county, the deputies involved, the bar’s security personnel, and the bar itself. “Parker Saitz was violently attacked by Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies in the presence of contracted local security,” remarked Saitz’s attorney, Josh Stambaugh. “He has serious injuries, and our lawsuit asserts that LASD members attempted to conceal the reality of the attack to evade accountability.”
The Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations through an email, stating that an internal investigation was launched on December 2. While this is ongoing, the three deputies involved have been relieved of their duties.
Attempts to get a comment from the management at the Breakroom were unsuccessful.
The complaint names off-duty deputies Randy Austin and Nicolas Hernandez, along with an unidentified third assailant, for their roles in the assault, claiming they are trying to manipulate the situation to favor the county and the sheriff’s department.
On November 27, around 10:30 PM, Saitz and two friends went to the bar. Allegedly, Austin, Hernandez, and the unidentified man began provoking Saitz, even reaching for his sunglasses. After Saitz left around 1:36 AM on November 28, tensions escalated. Hernandez made an offensive comment about Saitz, leading to an argument that seemed to fizzle out. However, shortly after, around 1:46 AM, Austin suddenly punched Saitz, and the trio began to beat him while he was on the ground.
During the attack, Saitz sustained serious injuries and was later taken to a nearby hospital. At the time, the captain overseeing the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s station, Justin Dees, reportedly made efforts to undermine Saitz’s claims and cover up the assault, according to the lawsuit.
In a strange twist, while in the hospital, Saitz was said to have claimed he started the fight, though he later denied it. Later that morning, Captain Dees reached out to Saitz’s father, suggesting that his son initiated the confrontation and hinted he would be pursuing legal action against the deputies.
While the Sheriff’s Department has not made direct comments regarding the allegations in Saitz’s complaint, they have stated that they have policies in place that define acceptable conduct for employees, emphasizing that any violations would be addressed promptly.
Stambaugh noted that Saitz was out with a friend celebrating his recent home purchase. “This case represents a demand for accountability regarding the personal misfortunes suffered by Saitz and is an effort to ensure that the actions of these particular LASD members are not overlooked,” Stambaugh remarked. “This is not the LASD that the Saitz family believed in or supported.”
