4 File Brutality Complaints Against Deputies

Four members of a Fillmore family have filed complaints against the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, following up their protest last week against alleged police brutality.

Lt. Richard Rodriguez of the department’s internal affairs division would not comment on the specific complaints filed Monday. “We’ll handle them and investigate them as any other citizen complaint,” he said.

Jorge Barajas, 19, whose arm was fractured by a baton blow, was arrested May 22 on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and resisting arrest after sheriff’s deputies broke up a party at his house, police said.

In his complaint, Barajas described how a sheriff’s deputy provoked him, saying, “Oooh, you’re bad,” and laughing at him when he inquired about his brother Genaro, 18. Genaro Barajas was being held by police and was later arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest and failing to leave the party.

The deputy “struck me on my left elbow with his baton. . . . Then he hit me,” Jorge Barajas’ complaint says.

Barajas said he picked up a bottle as he watched deputies hold his 15-year-old brother Agustin on the ground and saw a police dog bite him.

Fillmore Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Kipp, who led the group of 13 officers that broke up the party, has said they used no more force than was necessary and did not exceed department guidelines.

In Agustin’s complaint, he says three officers “started pushing me around and all of a sudden, the dog was released on me, biting me four times.”

Agustin was arrested on suspicion of obstructing arrest and assault on a peace officer, police records show.

Maria Barajas, 24, and her brother Javier Barajas also filed complaints, backing up their brothers’ accounts of the May 22 incident.

In her complaint, Maria Barajas said deputies struck her when she tried to help Agustin. However, Kipp said no deputy hit her.