Ex-VA Police Officer Gets Prison Time for Excessive Force Incident in Los Angeles

Juan Anthony Carrillo, 46, a former Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) police officer, has been sentenced to one year in federal prison for excessive use of force in a remarkable move underlining the adherence to accountability inside government institutions. 

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Carrillo struck a 34-year-old homeless man named "R.V.," with his baton roughly 45 times in 41 seconds in the incident that happened on January 16, 2022, at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.

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Carrillo began the incident by assisting another VA officer in restraint of R.V. While Carrillo was delivering constant strikes, the second cop had caught R.V. down most of the confrontation. According to court records, R.V. appeared either gloomy or still many times during the attack. Carrillo continued his relentless strikes, but as R.V. tried to detach himself from the suffering, the victims started to revolve on the ground in a half-circle pattern.

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The November 15 Justice Department notice states Carrillo had admitted guilt to one misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights for his actions. Emphasizing the gravity of the infraction, this phrase follows the highest penalty allowed for the offense.

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Emphasizing the agency's stance on accountability, VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes said, "These actions are unacceptable and are not tolerated at VA." Hayes confirmed Carrillo was removed from his role immediately and later let go. The VA underlined its constant efforts to maintain a safe, civilized environment for everybody.

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