A former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) lieutenant, Mohammad Shahid Jenkins, 52, was sentenced Tuesday to seven years and three months in prison for brutally beating an inmate, officials stated.
Jenkins was found guilty of using excessive force on an inmate and lying afterward in an official report in an attempt to cover up his abuse.
He pleaded guilty to these offenses on Sept. 12, 2023.
“This defendant was a lieutenant with more than 20 years of experience and a supervisor who was supposed to set an example of what proper law enforcement looks like for the less experienced officers he oversaw,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Adding, “Instead, the defendant abused his position of power to repeatedly and viciously assault a restrained inmate, returning to the inmate’s cell several times to renew the assault. We are committed to holding accountable law enforcement officers who violate the civil rights of any American, including those who are incarcerated in our jails and prisons.”
“This sentence sends a strong message that the FBI remains committed to protecting the civil rights of all people, including those in prison custody,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Field Office.
On February 16, 2022, Jenkins committed a severe abuse of power against inmate V.R. Despite V.R. being restrained and posing no threat, Jenkins engaged in multiple acts of violence, including kicking, hitting, and spraying the inmate with chemical spray, as well as striking him with both the can of spray and a shoe.
This incident, which lasted about five minutes, occurred in the absence of other officers and inmates, and Jenkins repeatedly returned to the cell to continue the assault.
The use of chemical spray as a weapon and the subsequent physical injuries inflicted on V.R. are particularly disturbing.
Furthermore, Jenkins attempted to conceal his actions by falsifying an incident report and lying to investigators, denying the use of any force against V.R.
This behavior not only represents a breach of his duty as a law enforcement officer but also undermines the integrity of the correctional system.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, Jenkins admitted to using unlawful force on another inmate, D.H., on Nov. 29, 2021.
In a different incident, Jenkins used excessive force by spraying chemicals on a compliant, handcuffed inmate, hitting him in the head with the spray can and doing so while the chemical spray was already affecting him.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Martin for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.