LOS ANGELES – An officer with the Veterans Affairs Police Department (VAPD) has been indicted on civil rights and assault charges that allege he used a department-issued baton to illegally strike a man approximately 45 times in 41 seconds at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, the Justice Department announced today.
Juan Anthony Carrillo, 45, was named in a two-count indictment returned Thursday by a federal grand jury. Carrillo will receive a summons directing him to appear in the coming weeks for an arraignment in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
At approximately 4:00 a.m. on January 16, 2022, the 34-year-old victim identified in the indictment 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 approximately 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 notes 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 alleged beating, the victim sustained injuries that included bleeding and lacerations on both legs.
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