L.A. County deputy collected paychecks after felony excessive force conviction

"A federal jury convicted Trevor Kirk in February 2025 of a felony after he was recorded throwing a woman face first onto the ground outside a supermarket in Lancaster. Kirk, 33, was sentenced to four months in prison and had his certification as a law enforcement officer revoked by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, in effect banning him from working as a police officer in the state."

"Kirk remained employed with the Sheriff's Department for months afterward, collecting benefits and a six-figure salary. After he was relieved of duty in 2023, Kirk was off the streets and had no other duties assigned in the department, a department spokesperson said."

"Kirk was seen responding to a report of a robbery and being approached by a woman outside a WinCo Foods supermarket. The woman was recording deputies with her cellphone as they handcuffed a man matching the description of a suspect. Kirk then approached the woman, tried to grab her cellphone and threw her to the ground, video showed. Kirk pinned her down with a knee to her back and used pepper-spray, twice, to her face."

Trevor Kirk, a 33-year-old Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy, was convicted by federal jury in February 2025 of felony excessive force after being recorded throwing a woman face-first to the ground outside a supermarket in Lancaster. The incident occurred in July 2023 when Kirk responded to a robbery report and violently assaulted a woman recording the scene, pinning her with his knee and applying pepper spray twice to her face. Following conviction, Kirk's law enforcement certification was revoked by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, effectively banning him from police work in California. Despite decertification and removal from duty, Kirk remained employed by the Sheriff's Department for months, collecting benefits and a six-figure salary. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Civilian Oversight Commission now requires the department to develop policies addressing the termination of decertified deputies.

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