An officer with the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service was indicted Thursday for allegedly kicking a handcuffed detainee in the head.
Jason Michael Rouswell, 46, of the El Sereno neighborhood, was charged with one federal count of deprivation of rights under color of law stemming from the alleged Oct. 20 assault, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Rouswell, who holds the rank of inspector with the Federal Protective Service, is accused of kicking the victim in the head after the detainee had been handcuffed and was face down in a prone position. The alleged kick took place outside the offices of the Social Security Administration in Pomona.
The indictment charges Rouswell with willfully depriving the victim of the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by someone acting under the color of law. It is further alleged that the victim suffered bodily injury.
Rouswell — who faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted — is expected to surrender to federal authorities in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday for processing.
