 Logo of the Lynwood Vikings | |
| Founding location | Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department |
|---|---|
| Territory | Los Angeles |
| Criminal activities | Police corruption |
| Allies | Compton Executioners |
The Lynwood Vikings is one of several deputy gangs[1] of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), appearing to meet the legal definition of a gang[2] when taking into account the department's repeated illegal conduct.[3] The Vikings, formerly based at the now-defunct Lynwood station, are composed of sworn deputy sheriffs in the LASD.[4]
Members of the Vikings include high-ranking law enforcement officers such as Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca and Deputy LA Sheriff Paul Tanaka. Federal judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. described the Vikings as a "neo-Nazi, white supremacist gang" engaged in racially motivated hostility.[4] The 1992 Kolts Commission report stated there was a lack of evidence of racist deputy gangs, but some Viking deputies engaged in brutality and ganglike activity. Other sources have described the Vikings as a social organization.[5]
- ^ Article at Knock L.A. listing known LASD gangs
- ^ "California Penal Code § 186.22(a)". California Office of Legislative Counsel. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ Article at SpectrumNews on LASD illegal activity
- ^ a b Sullivan, Rob (2014). Street Level: Los Angeles in the Twenty-First Century. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 23–4.
- ^ O'Conner, Anne-Marie; Duant, Tina (24 March 1999). "The Secret Society Among Lawmen". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 July 2015.