A former officer with the Gary, Indiana, Police Department (GPD) was sentenced Wednesday to one year and a day in prison for violating the civil rights of a suspect, officials stated.
Terry Peck, 48, previously pleaded guilty to having used unreasonable force during the arrest of the victim, a man the defendant had stopped for an alleged traffic infraction.
According to the plea agreement, Peck admitted that, on March 19, 2019, while on duty for GPD, he conducted a traffic stop and arrested the driver, Rasaan Hamilton. While Hamilton was handcuffed and not posing a threat to Peck or anyone around him, Peck slammed Hamilton’s face and head against a police vehicle, breaking Hamilton’s tooth and causing him bodily injury.
“All people in our country have a right to be free from excessive force by police officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The sentencing of this defendant makes clear that officers cannot violate people’s civil rights with impunity. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute any law enforcement officer who willfully violates the civil rights of the people they are sworn to serve and protect.”
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When a police officer uses excessive force, it erodes the trust between law enforcement and the community they are sworn to protect,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will work to ensure law enforcement officers who use unreasonable force are held accountable under the law.”
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office, Merrillville Resident Agency investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas McGrath and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang for the Northern District of Indiana prosecuted the case.
Anyone who may have been a victim of a civil rights or hate crime violation should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip to tips@fbi.gov.