SOUTH CAROLINA – Two former police officers with the city of Marion Police Department who tased a mentally disabled woman were given prison sentences, according to federal officials.
Franklin Brown, 35, and Eric Walters, 39, both former police officers with the city of Marion Police Department in Marion County were sentenced on Monday to serve 18 months and one year and one day in prison, respectively
Brown and Walters repeatedly tased a female resident while she was being detained, officials said.
“The defendants abused their authority as law enforcement officers by repeatedly tasing a defenseless, compliant victim,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentence is a reminder that this type of abusive and dishonorable behavior will not go unpunished.”
Brown and Walters previously pleaded guilty to violating the victim’s civil rights during this incident.
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According to court documents, on April 2, 2013, this is what happened:
While detaining the victim, Walters tased the victim causing her to fall to the ground and injure her head.
Once she was on the ground, Walters continued to tase the victim multiple times. Brown subsequently arrived on scene and proceeded to tase the victim as she was seated on the curb, restrained in handcuffs and surrounded by law enforcement.
Walters and Brown admitted there was no legitimate law enforcement purpose for repeatedly tasing the victim as she did not pose a threat to the officers.
During the hearing, family members of the victim said this is something she will live with for the rest of her life. They said she suffers from night-terrors, sweating and crying because of what she went through that night, and is just now able to talk about it over two years later, according to a report on SCNow.com
“Nothing can prepare you for something like this,” said Loretta Baldwin, Davis’ sister. “This is something we’re left with for a life time.”
“I don’t understand why something like this could ever happen to somebody like her,” said Tara Askins, Davis’ caretaker at the time of the incident, the SCNow report stated.