Man Let Go by Gascón After Stabbing Construction Worker Arrested for Murder

Stefen Sutherland, 31, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon in November 2020 after slashing a construction worker’s neck because he was making noise, according to law enforcement sources.

A Los Angeles probation official warned that there was a risk of further violence and asked a judge to put him in prison. But District Attorney George Gascon’s office sought mental health diversion instead for the crime, which critics say was under-charged to begin with as an assault rather than attempted murder.

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On May 23, Sutherland allegedly shot Jennifer Gomez 19 times in her home. The two had previously clashed over noise complaints, according to sources close to the investigation.

Gascón is one of a dozen big-city prosecutors, and at least 75 prosecutors nationwide, who have been elected with financial support, directly or indirectly, from left-wing billionaire and Democrat donor George Soros.

He defeated Jackie Lacey — the first black female district attorney in the history of the county — with the backing of the Black Lives Matter movement, and immediately announced radical criminal justice reforms.

Gascón’s term in office has coincided with — or, critics claim, exacerbated — a rise in violent crime. Two recall efforts have failed — the latter due to county officials finding enough signature problems to defeat petitions.