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.”
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.
Carrillo arrived to assist the other officer and proceeded to strike R.V. with a VAPD-issued baton up to 45 times in roughly 41 seconds, according to the indictment that notes most, if not all, of the baton strikes were delivered while the other officer was on top of the victim.
The indictment states that Carrillo was about 60 pounds heavier than R.V., and the second officer was about 8 inches taller and about 85 pounds heavier than the victim. As a result of the beating, the victim sustained injuries that included cuts on both legs and a broken bone on his right foot.
In addition to the use of excessive force, Carrillo, on the day after the incident, prepared a misleading VAPD incident report to justify his use of force, prosecutors said.
“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.