A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy who was recorded violently tackling and pepper-spraying a woman while she filmed a man being handcuffed was found guilty of excessive force Thursday, according to federal prosecutors.
Trevor James Kirk, 32, of Santa Clarita, went on trial after being charged with one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law in the assault of the woman outside a supermarket in Lancaster in June 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Kirk's lawyers did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Deputies went to the supermarket after receiving reports of robbers at the grocery store in Lancaster, 72 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of Los Angeles. The couple, whose names were not released, reportedly matched the descriptions of the robbers, the sheriff’s department said.
Body-cam video released by the sheriff's department shows the man sitting on a large rock on June 24, 2023, outside the store and holding a cake before deputies handcuff him as the woman stands a few feet away filming the encounter.
Kirk tried to grab her phone, but when the woman turned away, he threw her face-first to the ground, according to prosecutors. A bystander caught the arrest on cellphone footage.
The woman's arrest followed several cases that have drawn scrutiny to the department amid allegations of excessive use of force by its deputies. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Thursday that Kirk has been relieved of duty without pay.
“These actions are completely contrary to the values and standards upheld by the Sheriff’s Department. Law enforcement officers not only take an oath to uphold the law but are held to the highest standards of accountability and integrity. No deputy is above the law and any abuse of power which violates the public’s trust will not be tolerated.”
Kirk faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 21.
