A former officer with the Veterans Affairs Police Department was sentenced Friday to 12 months in federal prison for violating a man’s civil rights by using a department-issued baton to illegally strike him about 45 times in 41 seconds at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
Juan Anthony Carrillo, 46, of Alhambra was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wesley L. Hsu, who said, “Officers owe a special duty and have a special obligation to keep the trust of the citizens they police.”
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Carrillo pleaded guilty in July in Los Angeles federal court to one misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law and specifically, for using excessive force as a law enforcement officer. The 12-month prison sentence is the statutorily maximum available sentence for the offense, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The indictment states that at about 4 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2022, the then- 34-year-old victim identified as R.V. was detained by another VAPD officer on the grounds of the Medical Center.