Photo: U.S. Attorney's Office
A Trump-appointed federal prosecutor in Los Angeles is offering a plea deal to Trevor Kirk, a former sheriff's deputy convicted of felony use of excessive force against a Black woman, that would allow him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, per Atlanta Black Star.
On February 6, a jury found Kirk guilty of one count of felony deprivation of rights under color of the law following a three-day trial on charges that he used unreasonable and unnecessary force against Jacy Houseton, a Black robbery suspect.
Kirk and his colleague Felipe Alejandre, Jr. were responding to reports of a robbery at a grocery store in Lancaster in June 2023 when they encountered Damon Barnes and Houseton. The two reportedly matched the description of the suspected robbers.
Police footage shows that Alejandre detained Barnes without incident, while Kirk was "unjustifiably violent" with Houseton, who was filming Barnes' arrest, according to prosecutors.
Kirk grabbed Houseton's arm, hooked his hand behind her neck, and threw her to the ground, per a grand jury indictment. The deputy also threatened to punch her, put his knee into her back and neck, and pepper-sprayed her in the face.
Bill Essayli, the newly appointed U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, extended Kirk the plea deal just weeks before his scheduled sentencing hearing. He faced up to 10 years in prison for his felony conviction.
If Kirk agrees to the plea deal, the U.S. Attorney's Office will "move to strike the jury's finding" that he injured his victim, which made the crime a felony. A misdemeanor conviction of deprivation of rights carries a maximum sentence of one year.
Caree Harper, an attorney for Houseton, said the deal was “a slap in the face of justice.”
“I’m not just disappointed. I’m appalled at the notion that the new administration thinks they can overturn a lawful jury verdict,” Harper said, adding that the Trump administration is “putting us way back into the 1800s with this crap.”
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