LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is under fire after conducting a series of heavily armed raids at New Years Eve celebrations. Sheriff’s deputies in full body armor, riot gear and weapons, dubbed the “Superspreader Task Force” were deployed to five different locations in Hawthorne, Los Angeles, Malibu and Pomona. The raids resembled early twentieth century prohibition style raids. Some people even likened the operation to Nazi Germany Gestapo raids.
According to the department, the COVID-19 Super-Spreader Task Force conducted operations at five separate locations across the County of Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve. Hundreds of detectives, patrol deputies, and Specialized Response Teams shut down super-spreader events in the cities of Hawthorne (1), Los Angeles (2), Malibu (1), and Pomona (1). The locations ranged from rented residences, vacant warehouses, hotels, and shuttered businesses.
All patrons at one location were wearing face masks during the raid.
“During the evening, deputies made several arrests, conducted several advisements on proper COVID-19 safety protocols, and recovered several firearms,” the department said. “Overall, 90 adults were arrested and cited out for violation of the County’s Safer at Home order (120275 H&S); one adult was arrested for possession of narcotics and loaded firearm (11370.1 H&S).”
The department faced criticism by the public for their operation.
“What a joke. If they went there specifically for the stay at home order they should be embarrassed,” said resident Matt Gomez.
Tanner Viellete said, “Nazis stormed homes like this too for made up propaganda and brainwashing because the Jews were an inferior poeple. Your being brainwashed to think the ones who dont wear a mask and continue to practice their constitutional rights….the right to freely assemble, are the inferior people now.”
“California State Police. Hmmm listen to his statements it sounds an awful lot like what the police in 1938 Germany or Che’s Cuba Stalins Soviet Union,” said Bill Johnson.
“I don’t know why these people did not just declare their gathering to be a BLM/AntiFa protest. They would have been praised as virtuous patriots instead of Covid criminals and they would have been allowed to continue on with their event,” another resident said.
Over 900 people were warned and advised of the updated Safer at Home Order, and five handguns were recovered from the super-spreader event in Hawthorne.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, “I have made it clear that we will seek out and take law enforcement action against all ‘Super-Spreader’ events occurring anywhere within Los Angeles County. The goal of these enforcement actions is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the risk to our vulnerable populations.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will continue its “Super-Spreader” enforcement this evening. If you have information regarding “Super-Spreader” level events, please notify your nearest Sheriff’s Station.
At the end of the evening, the department posted a “walk of shame” style video and published it to their social media pages.