A former Memphis Police Department (MPD) officer was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release for violating an arrestee’s civil rights by using excessive force against him, officials stated.
According to court documents, Armando Bustamante admitted that, in January 2021, while he was on duty as an MPD officer, he used his service weapon and hands to strike an arrestee in the head without legal justification.
The assault caused bodily injury to the man.
“Public trust in law enforcement is essential to public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “When an officer violates that trust, it makes policing less effective and far more dangerous for both officers and average citizens.”
The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard for the Western District of Tennessee and former Trial Attorney Nikhil Ramnaney of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.