LOS ANGELES
An officer with the Veterans Affairs Police Department (VAPD) has been indicted on civil rights and assault charges that allege he used a department-issued baton to strike a man approximately 45 times in 41 seconds illegally, officials stated Friday.
The incident occurred at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, the Justice Department announced.
Juan Anthony Carrillo, 45, was named in a two-count indictment returned Thursday by a federal grand jury.
On January 16, 2022, at around 4:00 a.m., a different VAPD officer apprehended the 34-year-old victim known as “R.V.” in the indictment on the Medical Center’s premises.
According to the indictment, which adds that most, if not all, of the baton blows, were administered while the other officer was on top of the victim, Carrillo arrived to help the other officer and then struck R.V. up to 45 times in around 41 seconds with a VAPD-issued baton.
According to the indictment, the second officer was approximately 8 inches taller and about 85 pounds heavier than the victim, while Carrillo was about 60 pounds heavier than RV.
The claimed victim suffered bleeding and lacerations as a result of the alleged beating.
“Our Constitution protects all of us from excessive force inflicted by law enforcement officers, and when that standard is violated the Justice Department will take action to vindicate the rights enjoyed by all Americans,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.
“The excessive use of force alleged in the indictment is disturbing and not representative of the high standards and restraint practiced by the overwhelming majority of police officers,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
In addition to the use of excessive force, the indictment alleges that Carrillo prepared a misleading VAPD incident report to justify his use of force on the day after the incident.
“Carrillo’s report misleadingly and falsely claimed that victim R.V. was violently kicking his legs and refusing to show his hands, while also omitting the number of strikes defendant Carrillo used,” according to the indictment.
Carrillo is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law, resulting in bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon with the intent to do bodily harm. Both offenses, as alleged, carry statutory maximum penalties of 10 years in federal prison.
He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The FBI, the VA’s Office of Inspector General, and the VA’s Office of Security and Law Enforcement are conducting an investigation in this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Har of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section is prosecuting this case.