In today’s society, we grant members of law enforcement an enormous amount of power to enable the police to keep the peace and to preserve social order. Police are granted the ability to use their judgment regarding which laws to enforce and against whom. This wide range of options and authority can lead to the abuse of their power sometimes.
A Monterey Park police officer faces numerous felony charges after the Long Beach Police Department concluded an investigation into three claims of sexual assault during traffic stops in 2014. Israel Sanchez, 40, of Whittier, was arrested at his home earlier this week. He is charged with four counts of sexual battery by restraint, three counts of false imprisonment, two counts of assault under color of authority, and one count of bribery.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Sanchez ordered at least three young women to expose themselves during traffic stops, touching two of the victims after his command. The assaults occurred in July and August of 2014. The Long Beach Police Department, at the request of the Monterey Park Police Department, began its investigation in September of 2014.
Even with the arrest of Sanchez, the investigation continues. Authorities suspect that other women may have also been victims to Sanchez’s abuse of power and have urged anyone with information about the case to contact the Long Beach Police Department.
As we can see sexual harassment and assault can come in many different forms and a lot of times it goes unnoticed until someone speaks up or does something about it. We commend the Long Beach Police Department for taking action against these horrible actions. For more information on assault and harassment please visit our website.
