Multi American: What’s alleged in the federal lawsuit against ‘American’s toughest sheriff’ Arpaio
What exactly is alleged in the federal Department of Justice’s lawsuit against “America’s toughest sheriff” Joe Arpaio? If it’s any hint, there is a chihuahua involved, not in a cute way.
The feds filed a civil rights lawsuit yesterday against Arpaio and his Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) in Arizona, alleging biased policing and specifically the racial profiling of Latinos, including U.S. citizens. The lawsuit follows a federal investigation and settlement talks, which fell apart prior to the suit being filed. Arpaio has resisted, saying the investigation was politically motivated. One highlight from what’s alleged in the lawsuit:
The Defendants’ violations of the Constitution and laws of the United States are the product of a culture of disregard in MCSO for Latinos that starts at the top and pervades the organization. MCSO jail employees frequently refer to Latinos as “wetbacks,” “Mexican bitches,” and “stupid Mexicans.” MCSO supervisors involved in immigration enforcement have expressed anti-Latino bias, in one instance widely distributing an email that included a photograph of a Chihuahua dog dressed in swimming gear with the caption “A Rare Photo of a Mexican Navy Seal.”
Other highlights include citations from a study suggesting that Latinos in some parts of Maricopa County are many times more likely to be pulled over. Another is an allegation involving an MCSO officer stopping a pregnant female U.S. citizen, a Latina, as she pulled into her driveway. When she refused to sit on the hood of the car, the complaint alleges, he “grabbed her arms, pulled them behind her back, and slammed her, stomach first, into the vehicle three times.” She then had to sit in the back seat for 30 minutes without air conditioning, the complaint reads.
Hot link to complaint at link.
http://multiamerican.scpr.org/jp/whats-alleged-in-the-federal-lawsuit-against-americans-toughest-sheriff-arpaio/