Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were charged Wednesday with filing a false report that prosecutors contend covered up one of the deputies allegedly using excessive force during a September 2018 arrest.
Woodrow Kim, 39, and Jonathan Miramontes, 30, are set to be arraigned Thursday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Kim is charged with one felony count each of filing a false report and assault under the color of authority, while Miramontes is accused of one felony count of filing a false report.
Kim allegedly opened the driver’s side door of a patrol vehicle and knocked a man to the ground following a vehicle pursuit that ended in Ruben Salazar Park on Sept. 19, 2018, according to prosecutors.
Kim and Miramontes were responding to an assault with a deadly weapon call involving occupants in a black BMW who had allegedly threatened a motorist with a gun.
“Peace officers must do their job lawfully and truthfully,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement announcing the case. “There is no place in law enforcement for officers who use illegal force and then lie to cover up their crime or the crime of another officer.”