More than a year after he was caught on camera throwing a woman to the ground during a violent incident in a WinCo parking lot in Lancaster, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy has been charged with excessive use of force.
A federal grand jury on Wednesday returned a single-count indictment against Trevor Kirk, 31, who is accused of violating Jacy Houseton’s civil rights in June 2023 when he assaulted and pepper-sprayed her while investigating an alleged shoplifting incident.
He is expected to appear in court later this month in downtown Los Angeles, federal prosecutors said in a news release. If convicted, Kirk could face up to 10 years in prison.
“When an officer violates another person’s civil rights, it undermines the public safety of all of us,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a written statement. “Officers must be held accountable when they violate constitutional rights, and my Office is committed to prosecuting those who abuse their authority and violate the public trust.”
But Tom Yu, the attorney representing Kirk, remained optimistic.
“I still believe that the use of force is reasonable and I look forward to defending it in this criminal case,” Yu told The Times.
Caree Harper, who represents Houseton in civil court, was disappointed to learn that Kirk did not face additional charges.
“But in the current climate, we appreciate that charges are being filed,” Harper said. “It's very difficult to get charges filed against officers or agents, so at least we have that.”
In an emailed statement, the Sheriff's Department said it turned the investigation over to the FBI and “fully cooperated” with federal authorities.
“We have strict departmental policies and procedures regarding the use of force and personnel are not immune from the law and accountability when they violate those standards,” the statement said. “We expect our personnel to make appropriate decisions that maintain the public’s trust while serving our community with professionalism and respect.”
Last June, officers responded to 911 calls about a robbery in progress at the WinCo grocery store on Avenue K in Lancaster, As previously reported by The TimesAfter arriving, they encountered a man and a woman, later identified in court documents as Houseton and Damon Barnes, who allegedly matched the suspect descriptions given to 911.
As officers handcuffed Barnes in the parking lot, Houseton began recording with his phone. According to federal prosecutors, Houseton told Kirk he had a legal obligation to tell Barnes why he was being stopped.
Video footage then shows Kirk lunging at Houseton and attempting to take her phone away. When Houseton turned around, Kirk grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground as she screamed.
According to prosecutors, once she was on the ground, Kirk yelled at Houseton to “get on the ground” and then put his knee on her shoulder. When Houseton yelled at him to stop and swore at him, Kirk allegedly raised his right arm with a closed fist and said, “Stop or I’m going to punch you in the face.”
Kirk then pressed his knee against Houseton's neck, prosecutors said, as she begged him to get down and told him, “I can't breathe.”
While on top of Houseton, the indictment says, Kirk used his radio to misleadingly report that he was in a fight, just before spraying her twice with pepper spray.
Prosecutors later said Kirk allegedly filed a misleading incident report claiming Houseton tried to hit him and adopted a fighting stance.
Houseton was briefly hospitalized for her injuries and was later cited for allegedly assaulting an officer and a store's loss prevention staff. Barnes was cited for suspicion of resisting an officer, attempted petit larceny and interference with a business.
At a news conference in July 2023, Sheriff Robert Luna called the incident “disturbing” and said the department had opened an investigation to determine whether the use of force was reasonable. Both Kirk and the other deputy who responded to the call have been removed from field duty, he said.
The following month, Houseton and Barnes sued the Sheriff's Department and WinCoalleging assault, negligence and civil rights violations. They said surveillance video showed they had paid for everything they bought at WinCo and had been unfairly harassed by store security.
The case is still pending. But in addition to the federal indictment and ongoing civil suit, Kirk has also faced… Another legal problem in recent monthsIn January, he was arrested by Santa Clarita sheriff's deputies on suspicion of domestic violence. At the time, Yu said, the alleged victim — Kirk's wife — was not interested in pressing charges. This week, he said the district attorney's office declined to press charges.
The incident involving Houseton, who is Black, came amid a string of cases last year in which Antelope Valley sheriff’s deputies used force against Black women. In July 2023, the Sheriff’s Department released body camera footage showing a Palmdale deputy punching a young mother in the face as she held her 3-week-old baby in her arms, pleading with authorities not to take the child. The FBI then began investigating the incident, and the mother filed a federal lawsuit against the county, which is still pending.
Then, in December, a sheriff's deputy responding to a domestic violence call in Lancaster shot and killed Niani Finlayson in front of her 9-year-old daughter. That same month, Finlayson's family filed a $30 million claim notice.
