Blaze News original: LA sheriff threw deputy to federal wolves to appease liberal mob, union rep says



As Blaze News reported last week, a Los Angeles County deputy with a stellar record is staring down hard time in federal prison after a suspect accused him of using excessive force during a 2023 arrest. Evidence now indicates that L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna may have prompted a federal investigation into the incident, leaving deputies and other personnel feeling betrayed.

Blaze News caught up with the deputy's attorney, Tom Yu, as well as a spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Professional Association, Nick Wilson, to better understand the prevailing sentiment among L.A. County deputies about this case and to learn why they hope Deputy Trevor Kirk may yet avoid time behind bars.

'Safely handcuff the suspect': Deputy Kirk and a fateful detainment

On June 24, 2023, Deputy Trevor Kirk and another deputy drove to the WinCo supermarket in Lancaster, California, in response to a report of a possible robbery in progress involving a man and a woman. A source affiliated with LASPA told Blaze News that the woman had been "caught in the act."

When loss prevention officers confronted the suspects in the case — Damon Barnes and Jacy Houseton — the suspects allegedly assaulted the officers. According to reports, Houseton even pulled down her face mask and spat on one of security guards.

Kirk and the other deputy encountered Barnes and Houseton in the parking lot outside the store, identifying them as individuals who matched the suspects' description.

Though Barnes ran his mouth a bit, he was otherwise detained without incident. Houseton was a different story.

'She took a swing at him, backed off, and then continued to actively resist arrest.'

While deputies placed Barnes in handcuffs, Houseton stood nearby filming with her cell phone. Having already identified her as the other suspect in the alleged robbery and possible assault, Kirk then reached for her cell phone.

After a brief scuffle, Kirk brought Houseton to the ground, at which point she began accusing him of "manhandling" her. She also repeatedly threatened to sue Kirk and hollered phrases often associated with George Floyd and Eric Garner, who both died during encounters with law enforcement: "Get your neck [sic] off my … off my … I can’t breathe."

Houseton continued to yell and flail about. She also appeared to disobey orders to put her hands behind her back, so Kirk pepper-sprayed her in the face on two separate occasions.

Houseton later received treatment for injuries.

Bodycam video of the incident can be seen below:

— (@)

A summary of the incident from the Department of Justice painted a grim picture of Kirk's actions. "Kirk grabbed J.H. by her arm, hooked his left hand behind her neck, and violently threw her face-first to the ground," it said. It also accused him of pressing his knee into Houseton's neck and failing to issue her the proper commands.

In February, Kirk, a 32-year-old Army veteran and father of two, was convicted by a federal jury of one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. According to court records, it took jurors just two hours to render their verdict.

In reporting on Kirk's conviction, KCAL described the incident as a "vicious assault" involving a "disgraced deputy."

Attorney Tom Yu and LASPA representative Nick Wilson are frustrated with the way the incident has been framed by federal investigators and critics.

For one thing, by all accounts, Kirk has an "outstanding" record, Yu said. Kirk is well liked in the department and has no other allegations of misconduct against him or any poor performance reviews.

With regard to the incident with Houseton, Wilson told Blaze News that Kirk used only "minimal force" that qualified as a low-level, "category 1" use of force, as listed in the policies of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

Wilson also claimed that Houseton had been "resistive" and "violent" during the encounter with Kirk. "She took a swing at Trevor Kirk when he first went to detain her and put hands on," he said. "She took a swing at him, backed off, and then continued to actively resist arrest."

"Deputies are trained to take suspects who resist to the ground in order to gain compliance and to safely handcuff the suspect," Yu said in a statement in the days following the incident.

What's more, both Barnes and Houseton have a criminal history. Barnes has a string of arrests dating back to 1987, including convictions for arson, weapons and drug offenses, and resisting an officer. He was also accused of robbery in 1995. Houseton was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 2005 but had that conviction effectively dismissed from her record three years later, presumably after satisfying the terms of her probation.

To be fair, Yu noted, Kirk did not know about those prior convictions when he met the pair in the parking lot that day. However, Kirk also did not know whether they were armed, though it turns out they were not.

Neither Barnes nor Houseton was ever charged in connection with the alleged robbery of the WinCo store, which KCAL-TV later downplayed as merely a possible "shoplifting," or the alleged assault on the loss prevention officers.

Houseton did follow through on her promise to sue the department and was reportedly awarded $1 million. At a press conference about the lawsuit, Houseton claimed Kirk "tried to kill" her and implied that the excessive force was racially motivated.

Her attorney, Caree Harper, added, "It doesn't happen to white folks like this, and we're not gonna have it happening to black folks like this."

WinCo did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

'Hanging deputies out to dry': Sheriff Luna gets involved

An internal affairs investigation was initiated almost immediately following the detainment at WinCo, and the fallout might have been kept in house but for one problem: Video of the encounter between Kirk and Houseton had already been made public. Activist groups — including Cancel the Contract Antelope Valley, a far-left "social justice" organization — quickly planned demonstrations denouncing what they viewed as another racially charged instance of police brutality.

"As black residents of this community, we are tired of living in fear of the police," said group co-founder Waunette Cullors.

'The sheriff buckled under political pressure.'

About a week after the incident, Sheriff Robert Luna addressed the controversy publicly, describing the video footage as "disturbing." "It's disturbing. There's no ifs, ands, buts about it," he said at a press conference.

Wilson believes that in the summer of 2023 — a time when BLM riots and "defund the police" movements continued to reverberate three years after George Floyd's death — Luna was sensitive to external pressure. "After this use of force, the civil rights community, the activist movements raised hell within the sheriff's department," Wilson told Blaze News.

Even though Kirk was reportedly "cleared at a station level," Luna decided to invite federal agencies to investigate Kirk's actions as well, Wilson claimed.

"The sheriff buckled under political pressure and made sure that this case was handed over to the DOJ for prosecution," Wilson continued, thereby "hanging deputies out to dry."

Both Wilson and Yu told Blaze News they were "certain" that Luna's office initiated federal involvement, though Luna denies it.

In a statement to Blaze News, Deputy Miesha McClendon of the Sheriff's Information Bureau claimed, "Despite allegations to the contrary, this case was not referred to the FBI nor the U.S Attorney’s Office by anyone within the Department as indicated in the official court transcript."

McClendon also added:

The Department recognizes that having one of our employees convicted by a federal jury is a significant matter, and we understand the frustration it has caused among our personnel. ... The Department will be conducting a thorough review of the case to identify any specific issues to determine if modifications to training are needed.

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

L.A. deputies were so outraged at the treatment of one of their own — a colleague some believe was "politically" persecuted after simply following department protocol — that upon Kirk's conviction in February, Luna held a private meeting with personnel from the Lancaster sheriff's station.

During that two-hour meeting, which was secretly recorded, Luna expressed regret for characterizing the footage as "disturbing."

He also suggested that he had nothing to do with contacting the feds about the incident. "I can tell you this with confidence that what I said that day," Luna appeared to say, referring to his "disturbing" remark, "did not have anything to do with the FBI.

"The FBI received this case from the plaintiff's attorney," Luna explained. The "plaintiff" in this case was presumably Houseton, who filed a lawsuit.

During the clips of the conversation reviewed by Blaze News, the voice identified as Luna's admits to having "failed" his team members. He also indicates that he had not personally reviewed the incident footage, which others in the room characterize as "innocuous" and not too "grievous."

Deputies also repeatedly ask Luna to use the power of his office to stand with Kirk and publicly oppose his conviction. Luna promised he would consider it.

Luna's history with law enforcement in general is rather mixed, even though he has spent his entire career as a cop, first with the Long Beach Police Department and now as the head of the largest sheriff's department in America.

Though Luna wanted to be a police officer from the time he was little, he indicated to the L.A. Times that he grew up in a community that was generally distrustful of law enforcement.

Luna also recalled to the Times an incident in which he was apparently the victim of unnecessary police aggression. "At age 13, he said, he was slammed face-first against the hood of a sheriff’s deputy’s car for crossing against a red light on his bicycle," the outlet summarized for a profile piece in October 2022, shortly before Luna was elected sheriff.

Luna also campaigned for sheriff on the promise of breaking up so-called "deputy gangs." While he has since managed to ban such gangs, he has yet to name a single deputy gang member, Wilson told Blaze News.

Additionally, Luna has a track record of handling possible instances of excessive force within his department.

During one of the occasionally violent demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd's death, an officer with the Long Beach Police Department shot a journalist with a "foam projectile," the LAist reported in 2020. LBPD — then helmed by Police Chief Luna — ultimately determined that the shooting "was within policy," the outlet said.

'To show unity': Deputies make their voices heard

The deputies of L.A. County have not taken the conviction of Kirk or Luna's alleged capitulation to leftist pressure lying down.

For example, a handful, including a sergeant, have reportedly refused to accept medals and other accolades awarded by the department. They even "refused to actually go to the awards ceremony," Wilson insisted.

'The magnitude of this boycott ... makes Luna look terrible in the law enforcement community nationwide.'

In a more widespread show of solidarity with Kirk, hundreds of L.A. deputies and other staff members have decided to boycott one of their favorite annual events: the Baker to Vegas relay. While the L.A. Sheriff's Department regularly fields two dozen or so relay teams, this year, at least 20 sheriff's stations — including Santa Clarita, West Hollywood, two detention centers, the Training Bureau, and, of course, Kirk's home station in Lancaster — are refusing to participate.

Protesting the Baker to Vegas relay is no minor demonstration. Billed as "the world’s most prestigious and unique law enforcement foot race," the event draws teams from across the country and across the globe.

"There's folks flying in from Brazil. There's folks from Australia, from Germany," Yu told Blaze News. "This is a big thing."

Yu would know. Now an attorney, Yu spent 15 years as a deputy with the LASD. The deputies who race are very "competitive," he said, often averaging five and a half minutes per mile.

"I tried out for a county-wide team," Yu recalled. "I ran a six-minute mile, and I did not make the team."

"It's to show unity," Yu explained. "It's to run for your fallen brothers and sisters, for mental health. There's a lot of suicides in law enforcement, so it's a huge race."

Wilson confirmed to Blaze News that Sheriff Luna has participated in the event and understands its importance to department staff.

"The magnitude of this boycott ... makes Luna look terrible in the law enforcement community nationwide," Wilson said.

"To have the deputies not show up, it makes Luna look terrible."

This year, the Baker to Vegas race is scheduled for April 5 and 6. Instead, many L.A. deputies are opting to participate in a 5K race to raise money for Kirk and his family.

While Yu and Wilson are expecting a good turnout for the alternative race, they claimed that Luna may be trying to spoil or otherwise interfere with the event by attempting to ascertain the individuals orchestrating it.

Wilson shared with Blaze News a screenshot of one such message, allegedly from a Luna ally:

Screenshot shared with Blaze News. Used with permission.

Yu and Wilson believe the purpose behind these probing questions is to intimidate would-be participants and convince them not to join the Kirk race.

"We've had multiple deputies tell us and send us screenshots of friend requests and questions from Luna's staff asking who's boycotting, who is drumming this up, and applying pressure to deputies ... as a form of retaliation," Wilson said.

In the statement given to Blaze News, Officer McClendon of the information bureau addressed the accusations of intimidation:

The Department issued an internal global email on March 5, 2025, to personnel after it had received several reports from personnel who have stated they have been targeted with actions of harassment, threats of retaliation, and bullying related to participating in the Baker to Vegas race. We want to emphasize that whether or not personnel choose to participate, any form of harassment, retaliation, or misconduct will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

'No-brainer': Trump, Dhillon, and righting a wrong

Despite what Wilson calls the "cloud" hanging over the department, he, Yu, and others hold out hope that Kirk can still avoid prison time.

The clearest way for him to do so would be for the judge, a long-serving Reagan appointee, to vacate the verdict. While such an outcome may sound like a long shot, there are encouraging signs. For example, following the guilty verdict, the judge did not remand Kirk to custody, a decision which Yu described as "very rare."

'They were laughing, smiling, high-fiving each other, giving each other hugs.'

Moreover, the federal investigation into Kirk and his federal prosecution began under the Biden administration. During the trial, Wilson and Yu claimed that in a show of force, federal agencies packed the courtroom with young agency newcomers who enthusiastically supported the prosecution.

After the guilty verdict was announced, these agency supporters cheered loudly, Wilson claimed. "They were laughing, smiling, high-fiving each other, giving each other hugs," he said. "It was shocking."

With President Trump now in office, the DOJ has new leadership who may view the prosecution of Kirk in a different light. One individual with some influence in the Trump administration with strong ties to California is Harmeet Dhillon, now the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ. Wilson, Yu, and others are hoping she will intervene on Kirk's behalf.

Dhillon's office and the DOJ did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

While Dhillon is aware of Kirk's case, she likely does not know "the extent of the miscarriage of justice," Yu said. Wilson believes that if the right people in the administration get wind of Kirk's situation, they will act.

"If they understood the extent of this, this would be a no-brainer," he said.

"It's just getting the information to them."

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Harmeet Dhillon Says Corporations With DEI Racial Quotas Could Be Prosecuted For Civil Rights Violations

'In addition to race, I would see religious discrimination and other forms of discrimination on campuses as an appropriate target for the Civil Rights Division,' Dhillon said.

Durbin Defends Enforcing SCOTUS Ruling That Upheld Japanese Internment In Attempted ‘Gotcha’ For Trump Nominee

'Let's go back to Korematsu. ... As bad as it was, that court order was followed for years, was it not?'

Say goodbye to Democrats' weaponized DOJ: Trump’s nominee for assistant AG for civil rights is maybe his BEST pick yet



President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Harmeet Dhillon to serve in the role of assistant attorney general for civil rights.

“This is one of President Trump's very best picks,” says Liz Wheeler. “I don't know if there's anyone who has been more of a fighter both with passion and effectiveness than Harmeet Dhillon.”

In his announcement on X, Trump said the following about Dhillon.

“Throughout her career, Harmeet has stood up consistently to protect our cherished Civil Liberties, including taking on Big Tech for censoring our Free speech, representing Christians who were prevented from praying together during COVID, and suing corporations who use woke policies to discriminate against their workers. Harmeet is one of the top Election lawyers in the country, fighting to ensure that all, and ONLY, legal votes are counted.”

Liz echoes Trump’s words. “There's probably not a single prominent person in the conservative movement, whether this is a politician or a media person like myself, who Harmeet has not helped at some point behind the scenes.”

“She is so giving, so smart,” and “for how busy she is, she is willing to sit down and listen and talk and help anybody who needs it,” she adds.

If you need any more evidence that Harmeet is a pick of the highest quality, Liz says you need only to look at how “self-styled Democrat super lawyer … behind all the electioneering and the rigging before the 2020 election” Marc Elias responded.

“Marc Elias is scared. You love to see it,” laughs Liz.

To hear more of Liz’s commentary, watch the clip above.

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‘I’m speaking’: Why Kamala is TERRIFIED of muted mics in a debate with Trump



As the September 10 presidential debate looms closer, Kamala Harris can’t stop challenging the ABC debate rules.

Former President Donald Trump has announced that he’s fine with the set rules, writing on Truth Social that “the rules will be the same as the last CNN debate, which seemed to work out well for everyone.”

The rules will be close to the terms used by CNN for the June 27 debate, which includes that microphones will be muted as the other candidate speaks and no studio audience will be present.

However, Harris doesn’t want the muted mic.

“On the one side, you have Harris claiming we need to change the rules, there’s a live mic, and the Trump campaign right now saying, 'No, we’re not going to change the rules,'” Blaze Media editor in chief Matthew Peterson explains.

Center for American Liberty founder and Trump campaign surrogate Harmeet Dhillon believes this is telling of Kamala’s strategy.

“What it does tell you very clearly is that Kamala Harris intends to rely on gimmicks to get herself past this debate. I'm sure it terrifies her to sit down with or stand up with and have to debate the master of debating in this particular format,” Dhillon tells Jill Savage and Peterson.

“In this case, what she wants with the open mic is to be able to do her tired girl boss trope, to interrupt him when he makes a comment about her and say, ‘I’m speaking, it’s my turn, I’m claiming my time,’ whatever platitude you want to plug in there,” Dhillon explains.

“She’s also relying on having to need notes, be seated,” she continues, noting that Kamala also likely wants to have her “comfort governor Tim Walz” around to “help her out and hold her hand.”

“No, she’s a big girl, and the president of the United States is expected to stand toe to toe with the worst despots, demagogues, dictators, and evil people in the world. And they have to be able to do that without crutches, without gimmicks, without props, and without calling a lifeline,” she adds.

To hear more, watch the video below:


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OnlyFans model and abortion advocate praises Trump on STAGE at the RNC — but why?



Amber Rose is an OnlyFans model and SlutWalk organizer who skyrocketed to fame after her highly publicized relationships with famous rappers like Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa.

Now, she’s making headlines again — but this time as a speaker at the Republican National Convention.

“I’m here tonight to tell you, no matter your political background, that the best chance we have to give our babies a better life is to elect Donald Trump president of the United States,” Rose told the crowd in her five-minute speech.

Allie Beth Stuckey is not impressed with the decision.

“Look, I’m happy to have her vote. I’m happy to have the votes of other people like her. I’m not saying that we should gate keep and say you can only be one way to vote Republican, but do we need a person like that speaking at the RNC?” Stuckey says.

Stuckey also finds it a little less than charming that Rose also once praised Satanism in an interview.

“I’m not a Satanist,” Rose said in the interview. “Satanists are just atheists as well, but they're just more political. OK. They, they have, like — it's actually a very rational, logical religion. They help a lot of people, a lot of women to get abortions in Southern states that, you know, where they're illegal.”

“She is an adult performer,” Stuckey says. “She’s not someone who used to be one and then, you know, reformed. She still is currently. And she is pro-abortion. Just recently she was on a podcast where she said that she actually really relates to and respects Satanism as a religion because Satanism helps women get abortions.”

While Rose is an atheist, Stuckey has hope for her.

“Anyone can be redeemed, of course. And I would be happy to befriend this person and talk with her, and I hope that Christ saves her,” she says.


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Trump Announces Endorses Harmeet Dhillon For RNC Committeewoman for California

'Harmeet is a Great Asset to the Republican Party in California...'

Harmeet Dhillon says illegal alien totaled her car in 2007



Lawyer Harmeet Dhillon has said that her vehicle was totaled in 2007 by an illegal alien and that after the incident, she experienced pain and needed to do physical therapy.

"An illegal alien totaled my car in 2007 while making an illegal left turn into oncoming traffic. He fled the scene. After he was apprehended a few blocks away, SFPD was reluctant to arrest him because … he was illegal. I insisted, and they gave him a ticket. He disappeared. I was left with a destroyed vehicle, back and neck pain, and months of physical therapy and time out of work. This is all BEFORE California became a sanctuary state," she wrote in a social media post.

Dhillon, a Republican National Committee member, continued, "The current open border situation has brought this lawless horror show to the whole country, courtesy of Joe Biden and his merry band of Marxist supporters. Americans have to decide if we want this anarchy and lawlessness to be our new way of life, or not? The choice is very clear!"

— (@)

Biden is currently seeking re-election and is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee while former President Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

The issue of crime committed by illegal immigrants highlights the connection between public safety and border security.

Last month, 22-year-old woman, Laken Riley, was killed in Georgia. The suspect in the case is Jose Antonio Ibarra, and according to reports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stated that Ibarra had been arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2022 after illegally entering the U.S. but "was paroled and released for further processing."

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Tucker Carlson's attorney responds defiantly after Fox reportedly sends cease-and-desist letter seeking to shut down Twitter show



Fox News has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Tucker Carlson amid the popular broadcaster releasing two monologue-type commentary videos on Twitter, Axios reported Monday.

"My friend and client @TuckerCarlson will not be silenced by the far left or Fox News," attorney Harmeet Dhillon tweeted Monday morning, appending a link to the piece on Axios covering a cease-and-desist letter sent to Carlson by the network.

\u201cMy friend and client @TuckerCarlson will not be silenced \u2014 by the far left or by Fox News. Scoop: Fox sends Tucker Carlson cease-and-desist letter https://t.co/1vUCMoQXOa\u201d
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@Harmeet K. Dhillon) 1686568293

Axios did not include the text of the cease-and-desist letter, saying that the letter has "NOT FOR PUBLICATION" in bold at the top.

Dhillon went on to explain that Fox News is "not a place" for her until the network "stops trying to silence Tucker." She added she has friends still under contract at Fox and that she feels for them.

"I am passionately committed to free speech and a free flow of information necessary for a free society," Dhillon said.

The popular liberty-minded lawyer was not done there, however. She urged Congress, influencers, and GOP officials to carefully consider decisions about appearing on the network she says has "caved into pressure to silence Tucker Carlson."

"Do you really want to air your views on a network that spits on its viewers, leaks oppo on its own talent, and even threatens former talent for speaking, for free, on @Twitter?"

"You have free will!"

"What you are seeing on Fox today is a censored version of the news," Dhillon also said in the multi-part tweet thread.

Tucker Carlson and Fox News Channel parted ways April 21. After Carlson's departure, the network suffered deeply plummeting ratings, as TheBlaze reported.

Carlson re-emerged on Twitter April 26, in a short video calling out the faults of major media outlets. A June 6 video Carlson posted to the platform as "Episode 1" amassed more than 114.8 million views. Episode 2, released June 8, has nearly 55 million views. The second installment's video was emblazoned with a "Tucker on Twitter" typographical logo.

Elon Musk noted May 9 that Twitter had "not signed any deal of any kind whatsoever" with the broadcaster, as TheBlaze reported.

Tucker Carlson Tonight's former executive producer Justin Wells tweeted Sunday that the next episode of "Tucker on Twitter" will be released Tuesday. The content will reportedly cover former President Donald Trump's indictment in the federal classified documents probe.

Fox News did not respond to a request for comment from Axios.

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