A federal grand jury has indicted a Santa Clarita man working as an Antelope Valley sheriff’s deputy when he assaulted and pepper-sprayed a woman during a shoplifting investigation outside a WinCo Foods in Lancaster, according to a Department of Justice news release.
Trevor James Kirk, 31, of Santa Clarita, is charged in a single-count indictment with deprivation of rights under color of law for the force he used during one of his shifts as a sheriff’s deputy in June 2023.
Kirk used pepper spray on the victim and injured the victim, who is not identified, according to the complaint, which was investigated by the FBI.
Indictment
The federal indictment is described in the Department of Justice announcement for the arrest:
Kirk and another deputy were responding to a possible robbery at the WinCo by a man and a woman.
Kirk and another deputy arrived on the scene and handcuffed and detained a man who fit the description of the male suspect, according to the release.
During the arrest, a woman identified only as “J.H.” in the release, who matched the description of the female suspect, filmed the deputies with her phone.
In the recording, “J.H.” can be heard telling Kirk he has an obligation to inform them of the basis for the detention, per the DOJ release.
She also said she was broadcasting his actions on social media, according to DOJ officials.
The indictment alleges Kirk then approached the female suspect and, without giving any commands, attempted to grab her phone.
The woman turned away, at which point Kirk allegedly grabbed her by the arm, hooked his left hand behind her neck and violently threw her to the ground.
While on the ground, Kirk yelled for her to “get on the ground,” the release states.
She replied, “It’s already on YouTube Life,” implying her footage of Kirk and the other deputy handcuffing the male suspect had already been made public, according to federal officials.
Kirk then placed his knee on the woman’s shoulder and when she yelled for Kirk to “stop” and called him an expletive, Kirk cocked his right arm back with a clenched fist and said, “Stop or you’re gonna get punched in the face,” according to federal prosecutors.
Kirk then allegedly pressed his knee into the woman’s neck, and she said, “Get your neck [sic] off my . . . off my . . . I can’t breathe,” according to the statement on the grand jury indictment.
The woman also alleged Kirk used his L.A. County Sheriff’s Department radio to broadcast a misleading report that he was in a “fight,” per the indictment.
While the victim was restrained, Kirk sprayed her twice in the face with pepper spray without giving any prior commands, according to the DOJ news release.
The victim later received medical attention for the pepper spray used on her and the injuries she received from being thrown to the ground.
The indictment also alleges that Kirk then filed a misleading report to LASD in which he portrayed the woman as a threat to his safety, claiming she assaulted him, attempted to hit him and took a “fighting” or “blading” stance.
Upcoming court date
If convicted, Kirk would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
“When an officer violates the civil rights of another person, it undermines public safety for all of us,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in the release. “Officers must be held accountable when they violate constitutional rights, and my office is committed to prosecuting those who abuse their authority and breach the public’s trust.”
Kirk had not yet had an opportunity to answer to the charges. He is expected to be arraigned in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles later this month.
“All law enforcement personnel who take an oath to protect and serve the American people must be held to a higher standard,” Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, said in the release. “The FBI remains committed to holding those who do not meet this standard accountable for their actions.”
