Seven months after he was caught on digital camera throwing a Black girl to the bottom throughout a controversial use-of-force incident in a WinCo parkinfg lot, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Trevor Kirk was arrested final week for alleged home battery.
Jail information present the 30-year-old Lancaster deputy was picked up by deputies from the Santa Clarita sheriff’s station Thursday night and rapidly launched on $20,000 bond. His legal professional, Tom Yu, mentioned Monday that Kirk had not but been formally charged.
“I’m fairly assured this arrest doesn’t warrant a legal submitting towards my shopper,” Yu informed The Occasions, including that the incident allegedly involving Kirk’s spouse was reported by a 3rd occasion who didn’t witness it. “My understanding is that the spouse was not desirous of prosecution and that she denied all of the allegations made towards Trevor.”
Kirk’s spouse didn’t reply to requests for remark.
In an announcement Monday, the Sheriff’s Division confirmed the misdemeanor arrest, which officers mentioned is at the moment below investigation.
“The Division takes allegations of home abuse severely and doesn’t tolerate legal conduct from our personnel,” the assertion mentioned. “We count on our staff to uphold the best authorized and moral requirements which are required to serve our communities, each on and off obligation.
On the time of his arrest, the division mentioned, Kirk had already been relieved of obligation in reference to the WinCo incident.
Caree Harper, an legal professional representing the girl Kirk threw to the bottom exterior the WinCo, mentioned Monday that she was additionally investigating final week’s arrest and that she considered it as a part of a sample.
“He’s a girl beater, and he needs to be taken off the streets and fired instantly,” she informed The Occasions. “We have now credible sources saying he has a sample of violence.”
It’s not clear precisely when the alleged abuse occurred, although Yu mentioned it might have been “weeks or months” earlier. He additionally mentioned he didn’t know the specifics of the allegation towards his shopper, which he maintained solely resulted in an arrest as a result of peace officers have “no alternative” however to behave following any accusation of home violence.
“This arrest has nothing to do with the WinCo incident,” he added. “They’re very totally different.”
In June, deputies responded to 911 calls a couple of theft in progress on the WinCo grocery retailer on Avenue Okay in Lancaster. After arriving, they encountered a person and a girl — later recognized in courtroom filings as Jacy Houseton and Damon Barnes — who allegedly matched the descriptions of the suspects given to 911.
Because the deputies handcuffed Barnes within the car parking zone, Houseton started recording along with her telephone. Inside seconds, one of many deputies rushed towards her and reached for her arm, seemingly in an try to take the telephone.
“You’ll be able to’t contact me,” she screamed. The deputy threw her on the bottom, and video confirmed him arguing along with her, pepper-spraying her within the face and placing her in handcuffs..
Barnes was cited on suspicion of resisting an officer, tried petty theft and interfering with a enterprise. Houseton was hospitalized for the consequences of the pepper spray and for abrasions to her arm. She was launched however cited for allegedly assaulting an officer and retailer loss prevention personnel.
At a July 6 information convention, Luna referred to as the incident “disturbing” and mentioned that each of the deputies concerned had been faraway from subject obligation pending an inside investigation, which officers say continues to be ongoing.
That very same month, The Occasions revealed that the FBI had opened a legal investigation into the incident in addition to into one in Palmdale, the place a deputy was caught on digital camera punching a younger mom within the face as she clung to her child. The Sheriff’s Division confirmed Monday that federal authorities are nonetheless reviewing the case.
In August, Houseton and Barnes filed a lawsuit towards the Sheriff’s Division and WinCo alleging battery, negligence and civil rights violations. They mentioned they by no means stole something from the WinCo and that they’d been unfairly harassed by safety, despite the fact that surveillance footage confirmed them paying for his or her purchases.
In courtroom filings, Kirk denied a number of of the allegations outright, and mentioned others have been too broad. The case continues to be pending in federal courtroom.