Deputy Sheriff Excessive Force Civil Rights Violation

On April 9, 2009, the Department of Justice posted a Press Release, announcing that a former deputy sheriff pleaded guilty to using excessive force during an encounter with a citizen and acknowledged abusing his authority as a law enforcement officer when he willfully and without justification used excessive force by striking the citizen in the head.  See, http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/April/09-crt-328.html .  According to the Press Release, the encounter occurred at a residence in Cordova, Tennessee and the former deputy sheriff agreed that his conduct violated federal law and the constitutional rights of the victim.  Loretta King, the Acting Assistant Attorney General was quoted in the Press Release as saying that “This former law enforcement officer betrayed his oath of office and committed a crime … and now justice has been served.”

As stated in the Press Release, the Civil Rights Division is committed to the vigorous enforcement of every federal criminal civil rights statute, such as those laws that prohibit the willful use of excessive force or other acts of misconduct by law enforcement and other government officials.  In FY2008, the Division filed the largest-ever number of federal criminal civil rights cases in a single year in the Criminal Section’s history, and the second-highest ever number of official misconduct prosecutions, according to the DOJ Press Release. 

Whether excessive force civil rights violations by law enforcement officers occur in Tennessee, Texas or elsewhere, victims of police brutality, abuse or misconduct, may consider making official reports of officer misconduct and contact an attorney to determine if an excessive force lawsuit may ultimately be appropriate under the facts and circumstances of the particular potential case.