A former Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) tactical officer, Sebron Hollands, 33, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for writing a false report to cover up another officer’s use of excessive force on an inmate, officials stated.
He previously pleaded guilty to the offense on Oct. 2, 2023.
His co-defendant, former TDOC tactical officer Javian Griffin, pleaded guilty on Oct. 11, 2023, to using excessive force against the inmate.
“The defendant pledged to protect and serve, but instead, he abused his authority as a corrections officer to try to cover up another officer’s use of excessive force,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“Our country’s commitment to protecting its citizens’ civil rights doesn’t end at the prison gates,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “The defendant in this case violated public trust and used his position of authority to make the entire facility—and the inmates in his care—less safe.”
“When correctional officers abuse their authority, it not only violates our civil rights laws, it undermines the criminal justice system,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office.
According to court documents, Hollands provided false information in his official report about Griffin’s use of unlawful force on an inmate.
Hollands was present when Griffin, without justification, punched an inmate in the head, breaking the inmate’s jaw.
The inmate did not resist or pose a threat, justifying the use of force. Then, after the incident, Hollands provided false information in his official use of force report to obstruct the investigation of the incident.
The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard for the Western District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Matthew Tannenbaum and Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.