LOS ANGELES, CA – A controversial plea agreement for a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy convicted of excessive force has triggered the resignation of multiple federal prosecutors, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli A. Alcaraz and Brian R. Faerstein, along with section chief Cassie Palmer, resigned in protest after the new U.S. Attorney approved a post-trial plea deal for Deputy Trevor Kirk. Kirk had been found guilty of a felony for assaulting and pepper-spraying a woman outside a Lancaster WinCo supermarket in 2023.
Kirk was convicted of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a felony that carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. However, under the revised plea agreement, he will plead guilty to a lesser misdemeanor version of the same offense and serve no more than one year in prison—with the possibility of probation, according to The Times.
The incident that led to Kirk’s conviction began when he responded to a report of a robbery. According to The Times, video footage showed Kirk throwing the woman to the ground and pepper-spraying her in the face as she filmed the interaction. The woman, who was unarmed and not actively committing a crime, reportedly matched the suspect description provided by dispatch.
U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who presided over the case, ruled that the video supported a jury’s finding that Kirk had used “objectively unreasonable force.” He also noted that Kirk’s partner was able to arrest the actual suspect without using force.
The woman sustained blunt-force head trauma and injuries to her head, arms, and wrist. Her attorney, Caree Harper, criticized the new plea deal, stating it “changes the facts” and contradicts what is clearly visible in the video footage.
Kirk’s attorney, Tom Yu, defended the deputy, calling him “a hero, not a criminal,” and argued that the video shows a lawful detention of “a combative robbery suspect.”
Legal experts warn that the reduction of Kirk’s charge from a felony to a misdemeanor could allow him to retain his law enforcement certification and firearm rights—potentially enabling him to continue serving as an officer despite the conviction.
The Times also reported that Kirk gained significant support online after his indictment last September. Former police officer and conservative commentator Nick Wilson reportedly wrote to Donald Trump urging him to intervene in the case.
The resignations also come amid wider turmoil in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to The Times, a White House official abruptly fired Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Schleifer via a one-line email that cited the decision as “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump.” Schleifer later called the dismissal “unlawful” and alleged it was retaliation for his prosecution of Andrew Wiederhorn, former chairman and CEO of Fat Brands.
Schleifer had previously run for office as a Democrat and posted public criticisms of Trump, adding fuel to allegations of politically motivated interference.
The turmoil in the federal prosecutor’s office has raised alarms, especially as Trump-appointed officials reportedly pushed to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, The Times added.
