On a tip , Sheriff Barton and his posse set out to capture a group of bandits . They traveled south toward San Juan Capistrano . On the morning of January 23 , 1857 , Barton and his posse encountered the bandits . In the ensuing struggle , the Sheriff and all but two of his men were shot . Three of the bandits were killed . Immediately after the funerals another posse gave pursuit to the villains . In all , fifty-two bandits were captured , eleven were hanged . They were hanged at Fort Hill - a rise of ground behind the jail - where a temporary gallows had been constructed . " Fort Hill was located north of Los Angeles and Aliso Streets . Ironically , shortly after being elected to replace Sheriff Barton , on January 7 , 1858 , Sheriff William C. Getman ( once Lieutenant of the Rangers ) , was killed , after serving only seven days in office , while attempting to arrest a " maniac . " The incident was reported as follows : The maniac was hiding at the Monte Pico , a pawn shop near Los Angeles and Aliso Streets . There the Sheriff found the suspect locked and barricaded in a room . While the Sheriff was endeavoring to force an entrance , the suspect threw open the door , ran out and , to the dismay of all , pulled a pistol from his pocket , discharged the weapon , and Sheriff Getman dropped on the spot . The suspect then retreated into the pawn shop and fired at the crowd which had gathered . A Deputy finally killed the desperado , but not before the desperado fired twenty or thirty shots , four or five of which passed through the Deputy 's clothing . On Monday , October 25 , 1871 , a tong war among local Chinese resulted in the death of Robert Thompson , a white rancher . This would precipitate the Chinese massacre of 1871 . A riot broke out immediately after Thompson 's murder and a massacre of Chinese residents began . At least 17 to 20 Chinese were killed by the mob
Chinese massacre of 1871
Chinese massacre of 1871
History of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department