Following a politically charged 2023 case against a Los Angeles deputy who was convicted of using excessive force against two people in Lancaster, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a $3 million payout to the victims.
The three-year ordeal began in June 2023 at a Lancaster WinCo Foods store when deputies responded to a call about a possible robbery. Then-Deputy Trevor Kirk handcuffed a man, Damon Barnes, who matched the suspect’s description as another person recorded the deputies with her phone.
Kirk then approached the woman, Jacy Houseton, grabbed her phone and forcefully threw her to the ground, according to court documents. He also pepper-sprayed the woman in the face twice, court papers stated.
In February 2025, Kirk was found guilty of violating federal civil rights by using excessive force against Houseton. The former deputy was also accused of making a misleading report against his victims, saying he was in a fight.
The board Tuesday did not hold a discussion about the settlement for Barnes and Houseton.
In a report to the Board of Supervisors recommending the $3 million lawsuit settlement, county attorneys cited “the risks and uncertainties of litigation,” noting that the settlement “will avoid further litigation costs.”
The county has already paid more than $200,000 in attorneys’ fees stemming from the case, according to the report.
Kirk was sentenced to four months in prison after then-newly appointed U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli intervened in June 2025, significantly reducing his original sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Essayli had said he requested Kirk’s charge be reduced to a misdemeanor after determining Kirk’s actions did not rise to the level of a felony.
Barnes nor Houseton were not charged with a crime stemming from their initial arrest, LA County said.