More than 20 sheriff's stations are boycotting the annual Baker to Vegas relay run to show support for a deputy convicted of excessive force. They are calling it a wrongful conviction.
A jury found Deputy Trevor Kirk guilty of federal civil rights violations for using excessive force when he pepper sprayed a woman while responding to a possible robbery in 2023 at a Lancaster WinCo Foods.
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The Los Angeles Sheriff's Professional Association's Nick Wilson says they announced that dozens of stations would withdraw from the 120-mile relay race to send a message to L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna and the public.
"Deputies cannot... walk off the job or call in sick. This is the only thing that deputy sheriffs can do that will not hurt the public," Wilson told KNX News' Nataly Tavidian.
Though Sheriff Luna did not hand down the verdict, Wilson said he set Kirk up for a fall.
"In his initial press conferences, [Luna] created a lot of doubt within the court of public opinion rather than gathering all the facts and understanding the case and being able to send the appropriate message," said Wilson, adding it painted Kirk in an unfavorable light.
According to a statement from LASPA, Kirk detained one of two suspects who assaulted security officers at the supermarket without incident. When he approached the woman, she "resisted, swung at him, and ignored repeated commands."
Kirk took the woman to the ground and deployed pepper spray to gain control of the situation, "avoiding lethal force like a gun or Taser," the statement said, adding that he immediately called for medical assistance, per department protocol.
Body-worn camera footage shows the events as they unfolded.
Kirk will be sentenced in April, but his attorney, Tom Yu, said they are fighting to undo the verdict through an appeal.
The victim's attorney condemns Kirk and says the boycott is driven by personal and political agendas rather than merit.
In a statement shared with KNX News by the Sheriff's Information Bureau, LASD said, "The Department respects our personnel's right to opt out of participating in the upcoming Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, which is a longstanding athletic event meant to foster comradery, health, and sportsmanship. We wish all our participating teams success and look forward to celebrating their dedication as they run the challenging 120 mile relay race.
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. 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.
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."
Boycotting stations include the following:
Palmdale
Lancaster
Santa Clarita
West Hollywood
Lost Hills/Malibu
Compton
Century
Lakewood
Crescenta Valley/Altadena
Temple
East Los Angeles
Industry
Pico Rivera
Lomita
Transit Service
Training Bureau – responsible for recruit training and advanced officer training
Men's Central Jail
Twin Towers Correctional Facility
Century Regional Detention Facility
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