Juan Anthony Carrillo, a Veterans Affairs Police Department officer, has been indicted on civil rights and assault charges stemming from an incident at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. According to a federal grand jury in Los Angeles, Carrillo allegedly used a department-issued baton to strike a man around 45 times in just 41 seconds.
The incident occurred at 4 a.m. on January 16, 2022, when Carrillo arrived to assist another officer who had detained a 34-year-old man referred to as R.V. Carrillo, accused of repeatedly striking R.V. with a VAPD-issued baton while the other officer was on top of the victim. R.V. suffered injuries, including bleeding and lacerations on both legs.
This indictment emphasizes the significant physical disparities, with Carrillo being much heavier than R.V. and the other officer being taller and substantially heavier. Moreover, it alleges that Carrillo prepared a misleading incident report to justify his use of force a day after the incident, falsely claiming that R.V. was violently resisting and omitting the number of strikes used.
Carrillo faces charges of deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon intending to do bodily harm. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, these offenses carry potential penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison.
Rebecca Lynn Staples, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Western Field Office, expressed a commitment to ensuring appropriate use of police powers by V.A. law enforcement officials, vowing to hold accountable any officers who violate constitutional rights through excessive force.
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Link: Westside Current
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