Los Angeles, CA: In a stunning revelation that cuts through the political noise surrounding the Los Angeles riots Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has declared that Californians have “been lied to from the very beginning” about the nature and handling of the unrest that has paralyzed parts of Los Angeles for nearly a week.
“California politicians, the Mayor of Los Angeles, our Governor, have completely failed,” Sheriff Bianco stated during a Fox News interview, exposing what he describes as a deliberate mischaracterization of violent riots as “peaceful protests” for political gain.
As Marines are deployed to Los Angeles streets and the region enters its sixth day under curfew, Sheriff Bianco’s explosive testimony reveals how proper law enforcement protocols were ignored in the critical early hours of the unrest – a decision he claims directly led to the escalation that eventually required federal intervention.
The Timeline: How Los Angeles Descended into Chaos
What began as demonstrations quickly transformed into what Sheriff Bianco describes as “out of control violence” that local officials allegedly downplayed or ignored until the situation became unmanageable. According to the sheriff, this represents a catastrophic failure of leadership at multiple levels of California government.
“It was allowed to spiral out of control,” Bianco explained, noting that “they have created this narrative that defies facts and a timeline that we know happened.”
The Los Angeles Police Department has now arrested dozens of protesters for violating the city-wide curfew implemented by Mayor Karen Bass – a measure that Sheriff Bianco argues should have been enacted days earlier. The delayed response has resulted in significant property damage, business closures, and increasingly dangerous conditions for both residents and law enforcement.
“They Keep Calling It Peaceful”: The Sheriff’s Revelation
In his most pointed criticism, Sheriff Bianco directly challenged the characterization of the events by state officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom.
“They keep calling it a peaceful protest, mostly peaceful,” Bianco said. “Reality is law enforcement is being attacked, property destroyed. It is out of control violence that really they are trying to deny for political gain.”
This disconnect between official statements and on-the-ground reality has fueled frustration among law enforcement officials who have been tasked with containing the violence while simultaneously being undermined by political messaging that minimizes the threat.
According to Bianco, this pattern of downplaying violence for political purposes has become standard practice in California, creating an environment where criminals feel emboldened.
Federal Intervention: Marines and National Guard Deploy as Local Control Fails
The deployment of Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles streets marks a significant escalation in the response to the riots. Despite Governor Newsom’s public opposition to what he called the “militarization” of Los Angeles streets, the overwhelming violence eventually necessitated federal assistance.
“We honor their service and bravery,” Newsom stated regarding law enforcement, while simultaneously criticizing President Trump’s decision to deploy federal forces. “We do not want our streets militarized by our own armed forces.”
Sheriff Bianco, however, characterized Newsom’s resistance to federal assistance as “nothing but childish games,” asserting that “our Governor would rather fight with the President than do something about Los Angeles.”
President Trump has maintained that his administration’s intervention was necessary given the failure of local officials to contain the violence. “People that burn the American flag should go to jail for one year,” Trump declared, signaling a tougher approach to protesters engaged in destructive behavior.
The Law Enforcement Playbook: “Stop It in the Beginning”
Perhaps most revealing in Sheriff Bianco’s testimony was his explanation of proper riot response protocols – a playbook he claims was deliberately ignored by Los Angeles officials.
“When you do it in the beginning with show of force, criminals don’t show up because they know there is a consequence,” Bianco explained, drawing on his experience handling similar unrest in Riverside County during 2020.
“We handled it with overwhelming show of force and ended what they were doing immediately and it disappeared,” he recounted. “The rest of law enforcement said look what they did, it worked and Los Angeles followed suit and stopped theirs within two days after ours.”
This tactical approach – deploying overwhelming resources early to prevent escalation – stands in stark contrast to the gradual response in Los Angeles that allowed violence to build momentum over several days.
According to Sheriff Bianco, the National Guard “could have been deployed immediately,” which would have prevented the situation from spiraling out of control. Instead, he argues, political considerations interfered with proper law enforcement decisions.
“Any cop on the street will tell you exactly how they can make it end,” Bianco stated. “Somehow, as you rise up through leadership ranks, they can’t make decisions at the top because politics get involved and mayor and governor get involved.”
“This is 20 Years in the Making”: The Policy Failures Behind the Riots
In one of his most damning assertions, Sheriff Bianco connected the current unrest to long-term policy decisions in California.
“This is 20 years in the making of Governor Gavin Newsom’s policies that enabled criminals to do this in the first place,” he stated, suggesting that the riots represent the inevitable outcome of progressive criminal justice reforms that have weakened deterrents against lawlessness.
This perspective aligns with conservative critiques of California’s approach to law enforcement, which has included reduced penalties for certain offenses, restricted policing tactics, and what critics describe as a permissive attitude toward public disorder.
The Human Cost: Businesses and Communities Bear the Burden
Beyond the political disputes, Sheriff Bianco emphasized the devastating impact of the riots on ordinary citizens and business owners.
“Downtown Los Angeles is enormous magnet for business all day long,” he explained. “When you bring thousands of protesters in to block freeways, stop freeways, that impacts everyone’s day. Businesses are closing and people can’t make it to work, it impacts all of Los Angeles.”
Local business owners have reported extensive damage, with one stating that his “stores are destroyed and stores are getting looted in the area.” The economic impact extends far beyond the immediate vicinity of the protests, as transportation disruptions and security concerns affect the entire region.
Traffic on major arteries like the 101 freeway, described as “a disaster” even on normal days, has been completely paralyzed at times during the unrest. “When you shut down the 101, you shut down basically the entire South land,” noted one commentator.
A National Pattern: Similar Protests Spread to Other Cities
The Los Angeles riots appear to be part of a coordinated pattern of unrest, with similar anti-ICE protests emerging in Seattle, Chicago, and New York City, where police arrested more than 80 protesters.
In response to this spreading phenomenon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has proactively deployed the National Guard – implementing precisely the kind of early, decisive response that Sheriff Bianco advocates.
This contrasting approach highlights the divergent strategies being employed across the country, with some jurisdictions choosing immediate, overwhelming force while others opt for a more gradual escalation of response measures.
A Playbook for the Future: Lessons from the Los Angeles Response
Sheriff Bianco’s testimony offers a clear alternative to what he characterizes as the failed approach of Los Angeles officials:
- Immediate show of force when unrest begins
- Early implementation of curfews to prevent nighttime escalation
- Prompt deployment of National Guard resources before local forces are overwhelmed
- Clear communication about the nature of violent activity without political euphemisms
- Protection of critical infrastructure and transportation networks from the outset
“If you stop it in the beginning, it goes away,” Bianco summarized, offering a straightforward formula that he claims has been proven effective in similar situations.
Conclusion: Truth and Consequences
As Los Angeles begins the long process of recovery, Sheriff Bianco’s explosive claim that “we’ve been lied to from the beginning” raises profound questions about the role of political considerations in public safety decisions.
The contrast between the initial handling of the Los Angeles riots and the approach advocated by Sheriff Bianco represents a fundamental disagreement about how civil unrest should be managed in American cities – a debate that will likely intensify as similar situations arise in the future.
What remains clear is that the consequences of these decisions extend far beyond political disputes, affecting the lives and livelihoods of countless citizens caught in the crossfire of violence that Sheriff Bianco insists could have been prevented with proper early intervention.
As Marines patrol Los Angeles streets and businesses assess the damage, the sheriff’s testimony stands as a stark reminder that public safety decisions have real-world consequences that transcend political messaging.
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