L.A. County Deputy Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Transgender Man in Civil Rights Case

The deputy admitted to using excessive force, falsifying reports, and attempting to cover up the assault following a First Amendment-protected gesture.

Deputy Joseph Benza III pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights violation for assaulting Emmett Brock, a transgender man, in February 2023.
Benza abandoned a domestic violence call to pursue Brock, who had flipped him off, and violently assaulted him in a parking lot without provocation.
The assault left Brock with a concussion and other injuries; initial charges against Brock were dropped after surveillance footage contradicted the deputy's report.
Benza falsified his incident report and collaborated with other deputies to omit key details, including the retaliation motive, and obstructed the federal investigation.
Benza faces up to 10 years in federal prison and has been barred from future law enforcement roles as part of the plea agreement.

U.S. Department of Justice