L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Obstruction of Justice in Suspected DUI Cover-Up

Deputy Gregory Davis of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department has been charged with felony conspiracy to obstruct justice, along with several misdemeanor counts, for his alleged involvement in covering up a suspected DUI crash involving fellow deputy Carlos Lopez. The incident occurred in August 2022 in the Santa Clarita Valley.

According to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón, Davis pulled Lopez, who was reportedly intoxicated, out of the wrecked patrol vehicle and placed him in another car driven by Lopez’s wife. Davis then attempted to move the crashed SUV before an off-duty LAPD officer passing by called authorities. Initially, Davis did not identify himself as an off-duty deputy.

Lopez’s whereabouts were unknown for nearly an hour after the crash, but he was eventually located at his home. The SUV was found crashed in bushes. Lopez was taken to Henry Mayo Hospital for a possible head injury but was later released. The Sheriff’s Department relieved Lopez of duty and he was subsequently arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

Davis, a member of the department’s High Risk Tactical/Rescue Teams, is expected to surrender to authorities on September 27. He was relieved of duty on Tuesday, as confirmed by the department.

In a statement, District Attorney Gascón emphasized the importance of holding accountable those who obstruct investigations into unlawful conduct by law enforcement officers, stating that such actions undermine the integrity of the justice system.