GEORGIA
Brian Ford, 23, a correctional officer at the State Prison (VSP) in Valdosta, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to one count of using excessive force against an inmate housed at the facility.
Ford is facing up to 10 years in prison, officials stated.
According to documents filed in connection with the guilty plea, on Dec. 29, 2018, Ford, while on duty as a correctional officer at VSP, struck an inmate with his fist multiple times while the inmate was handcuffed and lying on the ground.
Specifically, Ford and other prison officials escorted the handcuffed inmate to an outdoor area on the grounds of the prison for the purpose of assaulting the inmate in retaliation for a previous altercation between the inmate and a female officer.
Ford and another officer, carrying out a directive from a supervisor, took the inmate to the ground and struck him multiple times in the body. The inmate was handcuffed and compliant at the time of the assault.
“These acts are egregious for any person to commit, let alone a member of our law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “It is the duty of law enforcement to uphold the law and protect others, not dole out punishment as they see fit. The Department of Justice takes these acts seriously and works tirelessly to ensure that officers who violate the civil rights of others are held accountable.”
“Every law enforcement officer who takes an oath knows it is never appropriate to take the law into his or her own hands,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “There are many legitimate ways to hand out punishment to inmates who misbehave, but assaulting a handcuffed inmate is not one of them. We will never accept criminal conduct on the part of our law enforcement officers.”