Lynwood Vikings
Logo of the Lynwood Vikings | |
| Founding location | Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department |
|---|---|
| Territory | Los Angeles |
| Criminal activities | Police corruption |
| Allies | Compton Executioners |
The Lynwood Vikings is one of several deputy gangs of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). The Vikings, formerly based at the now-defunct Lynwood station, are composed of sworn deputy sheriffs in the LASD.
Members of the Vikings have included Deputy LA Sheriff Paul Tanaka. Federal judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. described the Vikings as a "neo-Nazi, white supremacist gang" engaged in racially motivated hostility. The 1992 Kolts Commission report stated there was a lack of evidence of racist deputy gangs, but some Viking deputies engaged in brutality and ganglike activity. Other sources have described the Vikings as a social organization.