A Navy detective, Jonathan Christopher Laroche, has pleaded guilty to charges of using excessive force against a detained man and lying about his previous career with the El Cajon Police Department. The incident occurred on November 14 at Naval Base San Diego, where Laroche was working as a detective with the Navy’s Criminal Investigations Division.
According to federal prosecutors, Laroche followed military law enforcement officers into a room where a man, identified only as G.D., was being held. Despite not knowing the reason for the man’s detention, Laroche immediately took him to the ground and applied a carotid restraint for 17 seconds, causing the man to lose consciousness. After regaining consciousness, G.D. was handcuffed to a bench in the main room of the security building.
Laroche admitted in his plea agreement that he willfully and intentionally violated G.D.’s rights, depriving him of his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizure and the unreasonable use of force. Additionally, court documents revealed that Laroche had lied about his departure from the El Cajon Police Department when applying to the Navy’s Criminal Internal Investigation Division in 2022.
The plea agreement disclosed that Laroche had resigned from the El Cajon Police Department four years earlier after facing the prospect of being fired due to two separate excessive use-of-force incidents against citizens in 2017. He had also been reprimanded for a third use-of-force incident in 2015. Laroche falsely claimed to have left the police department to work as a U.S. Department of Defense officer and denied any punishment or reprimand from his prior employment.
U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath condemned Laroche’s actions, describing them as reprehensible and an abuse of authority. As part of the plea agreement, Laroche, a resident of Spring Valley, agreed to resign from his position with the Navy and is prohibited from seeking employment with any law enforcement agency in the future. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2.
2 Responses
I’m curious to know more about the circumstances surrounding the excessive force used by Navy detective Jonathan Christopher Laroche. Could you please provide more details about the incident and how it unfolded? Additionally, it would be interesting to learn about the potential consequences Laroche may face for his actions.
Wow, this is a really important post shedding light on a concerning incident involving a Navy detective. It’s crucial to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions, and I appreciate that you’re bringing attention to this case. Keep up the great work in reporting on these important issues!