A former San Diego County sheriff’s deputy has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of using excessive force against a restrained detainee and then lying to cover up the assault.
Jeremiah Manuyag Flores, who was sentenced to 57 months in federal custody, was convicted in December 2025 on two counts: deprivation of civil rights under color of law and falsification of records in a federal investigation. The case stemmed from a 2024 incident at a county detention facility in which Flores violently shoved an awaiting-trial detainee, identified in court documents as J.P., causing a spinal fracture.
According to evidence presented at trial, Flores pushed the man from behind while his legs were shackled and his hands were restrained at his waist. The force of the shove sent J.P. flying across his cell, where he struck the back wall head-first and collapsed to the floor. Medical staff later determined that he had sustained a fractured vertebra.
Despite the severity of the injury, Flores did not render medical aid or alert a supervisor, both clear violations of the department’s Use of Force Policy. As a result, J.P. remained on the ground in a pool of his own blood for more than two hours before another deputy discovered him.
When Flores was later ordered to file an official report on the incident, he falsely stated that no force had been used. Prosecutors also presented jail surveillance footage showing Flores smiling as he walked away from the victim’s cell moments after the assault.
“The power disparity between the defendant who was in complete control and [J.P.] who couldn’t do anything to protect himself was as wide as the ocean. The defendant’s only job was to walk with him.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins said. “There was no escalation here. There was no resistance here. The defendant didn’t have to use any force at all. All he had to do was to keep walking.”
In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez underscored the public’s reliance on the integrity of law enforcement officers, particularly in spaces that remain hidden from public view.
