LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva was transitioning into office late in 2018 when then-Capt. Matthew Burson was overseeing a high-profile criminal investigation into an alleged assault involving East L.A. deputies at a station party.
At the time, Burson said he was given instructions on behalf of the incoming sheriff on how to handle the case: Investigators, he was told, should avoid questions about the Banditos, the gang-like group of deputies whose members were accused of instigating the fight.
"I assumed there was a valid reason for it, and followed orders," Burson said in a sworn declaration filed in court Tuesday. "I did not at that time suspect any ulterior motives, including a cover-up."
