Complaint No. 1778641070 - 528536643

I am filing this complaint regarding Senior Deputy Blake Kassabian and the way he treated me behind Micky’s in West Hollywood during the early morning hours of April 18, 2026. In my opinion, Deputy Kassabian acted aggressively from the start and escalated a situation that never needed to become physical.

I was standing in the alley behind the club with friends when a marked Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department SUV entered the alley with its red and blue emergency lights activated. Deputy Kassabian exited the vehicle quickly and immediately started contacting people in the area like we were criminals. He approached me directly and initiated what he called a pedestrian stop.

I asked why I was being stopped, and instead of explaining, Deputy Kassabian immediately became confrontational. He was hostile in both his tone and body language. He repeatedly cursed at me and told me things like “stop acting stupid” and “quit playing games.” The entire interaction felt personal and disrespectful from the beginning.

As the encounter continued, Deputy Kassabian got closer to me and began grabbing at my arm while ordering me to put my hands behind my back. I pulled away because I was confused about why I was suddenly being detained and because the deputy was already yelling at me. Almost immediately afterward, Deputy Kassabian forced me to the ground face first onto the pavement. I hit the ground hard and felt pain in my shoulder, wrist, and face area afterward.

Deputy Kassabian later tried to justify the force by claiming I resisted or became physically uncooperative. Another witness nearby — who was clearly siding with law enforcement from the beginning — started saying he saw me push Deputy Kassabian before I was taken down. I disagree with that characterization completely. At most, I pulled away while trying to understand what was happening and why the deputy was putting his hands on me. I do not believe that justified being slammed onto concrete.

While I was on the ground, Deputy Kassabian continued yelling at me and threatening to arrest me if I “kept talking.” The whole situation felt less like professional policing and more like the deputy wanted to dominate and embarrass me in front of everyone standing nearby.

Several people witnessed the incident, including security staff, club patrons, and others standing near the rear exit area. I believe surveillance cameras from nearby businesses and body-worn camera footage will show Deputy Kassabian escalated the situation unnecessarily and used more force than the situation required.