Desert Hot Springs officer released following 2018 confrontation

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In July 2018, a video recorded in Desert Hot Springs, California, captured a tense interaction between a local police officer, Paul Huerta, and a man named Joshua Felix. The footage shows Officer Huerta standing in close proximity to Felix, using derogatory language, and eventually handcuffing him under the stated premise of conducting an investigation. The video was discussed after it appeared online, prompting an internal review by the Desert Hot Springs Police Department. Following the investigation, the department confirmed that Huerta, who was a probationary employee at the time, was no longer with the agency. In January 2019, Joshua Felix filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Desert Hot Springs and other defendants, alleging violations of his constitutional rights, including false arrest. Court records indicate that the litigation concluded on March 27, 2019, when the case was settled and dismissed with prejudice. While the lawsuit reached a resolution, the specific financial terms of the settlement remain confidential. Following his departure from Desert Hot Springs, Huerta was later employed by the Wrangell Police Department in Alaska starting in June 2019, but he had left that position by July 2020.