A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy was charged Wednesday with allegedly using excessive force when he assaulted and pepper-sprayed a woman during a shoplifting investigation outside a WinCo Foods in Lancaster last year.
Trevor James Kirk, 31, of Santa Clarita, is charged in a single-count federal indictment with deprivation of rights under color of law for the force used in June 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Kirk, who allegedly used pepper spray on victim J.H., will be arraigned on the charge in Los Angeles federal court later this month.
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“When an officer violates the civil rights of another person, it undermines public safety for all of us,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “Officers must be held accountable when they violate constitutional rights, and my office is committed to prosecuting those who abuse their authority and breach the public’s trust.”