Video: Deputies Seen "Dumping" Homeless Man off in San Pedro

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is responding to questions about a video allegedly showing two deputies "dumping" a homeless man in San Pedro.

The video was shared by LA City Councilman Joe Buscaino and shows a man looking disheveled walking away from a deputy's patrol vehicle with another patrol car nearby.

Later that day, both the LAPD and LAFD responded to calls about the man, John Thomas Bryan, and arrested him on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear.

Buscaino has called for the Sheriff's Department to investigate the incident and to tally up how much it cost the city to respond to the multiple calls about Bryan.

"This was appalling, disturbing and disgusting. Not only LAPD but also L.A. Fire had to respond to this gravely disabled individual who obviously was not being looked out for."

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida says the deputies went out of their way to help the man because he called them from Rancho Palos Verdes and asked for a ride to Pasadena. 

"He did not exhibit a danger to himself or others, he was not gravely disabled, he did not commit a crime and was not subject to involuntary detention. The deputies asked him if he needed any help. He only expressed that he wanted a ride."

The deputies said they couldn't take him that far but offered to drop him off at a bus stop in San Pedro, four miles away.

Nishida says the deputies also checked to see if Bryan had any warrants out, but decided to not arrest him.

However, Buscaino questions their explanation of the incident.

"I drove a police car for 15 years and never taxied anyone to their destination, especially to another jurisdiction. And especially a subject that was gravely disabled and had a warrant."


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content