Former officer sentenced for beating a man with a baton 45 times in West Los Angeles

A former police officer with the Veterans Affairs Police Department (VAPD) was sentenced to one year in federal prison for striking an unarmed man about 45 times with a baton in 41 seconds, officials announced Friday.

Juan Anthony Carrillo, 46, of Alhambra, was sentenced with the statutorily maximum available sentence for this offense, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Reports show that around 4 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2022, another VAPD officer first detained the 34-year-old victim, referred to in court documents only as R.V., at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

According to a story by the Los Angeles Times , the prosecutors described the victim as an unhoused individual who was walking on medical center property holding a clear glass pipe that the officer suspected was drug paraphernalia.

The DOJ said Carrillo arrived to assist, and then proceeded to beat R.V. with a VAPD-issued baton up to 45 times in about 41 seconds while R.V. screamed in pain.

"Most, if not all, of the baton strikes were delivered while the other officer was on top of the victim, who was unarmed," reported the DOJ.

In addition, the DOJ noted that Carrillo weighed about 60 lbs heavier than R.V., and the second officer was about 8 inches taller and 85 lbs heavier than the victim.

"As a result of the beating, the victim sustained injuries that included cuts on both legs and a broken bone on his right foot," officials said.

On July 26, 2024, the DOJ said Carrillo pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law and specifically, for using excessive force as a law enforcement officer.

The current status of the victim or the other officer involved was not immediately released by the DOJ.