MAR VISTA : D.A. Declines to Charge Deputies in Prisoner Death

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies will not face criminal prosecution for their roles in a March, 1994, incident in which a prisoner died in their custody, the district attorney’s office has concluded.

In a report released late Tuesday, investigators said they found “insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt” that deputies committed criminal acts while subduing John Bernard Wiley, who was first injured while resisting arrest after a domestic dispute in the 12200 block of Pacific Avenue in Mar Vista.

“Whether the death resulted from an accident which occurred during the struggle or through an intentional act is not known,” the report stated.

The decision came despite a finding by the coroner’s office that use of force contributed to Wiley’s death, which it ruled a homicide.

Wiley, 41, of Mar Vista, died March 4, 1994, while in sheriff’s custody at County-USC Medical Center. Deputies and other witnesses told investigators that Wiley, a former construction worker, became combative after his handcuffs were removed at the hospital. A struggle ensued, during which several deputies attempted to place Wiley in four-point restraints. They also placed a sheet over Wiley’s mouth to stop him from spitting at them, the report stated.

Wiley stopped breathing during the struggle and was pronounced dead an hour later.

Although the coroner’s office later ruled Wiley’s death a homicide partially caused by use of force, it also found that other “significant” factors were involved, including his fatty liver and his high blood-alcohol level.

On Tuesday, district attorney’s investigators cited varying witness accounts in their decision. “We cannot prove . . . which deputy, if any, applied a neck restraint that may have contributed to Wiley’s death,” the report stated.