A former Mississippi Bureau of Investigations Officer assigned to the U.S. Marshals’ Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force pleaded guilty Wednesday to hitting a handcuffed suspect in the face, knocking him to the ground, officials stated.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, on Sept. 16, 2021, John Winstead was working as a federal task force officer when he willfully deprived arrestee K.K.H. of the Fourth Amendment right to be free from objectively unreasonable force.
K.K.H. was arrested during the Task Force operation. He was already handcuffed and in the process of being escorted safely by another officer when Winstead struck K.K.H. forcefully in the face, knocking him to the ground.
“Civil rights prosecutions are a priority for the Justice Department, and we work each day towards protecting the constitutional rights of every citizen,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe for the Middle District of Louisiana. “I commend the local and federal partners who worked with our district to ensure a fair and equitable resolution. May this serve as an example of how collaboration with the Justice Department provides justice in prosecuting the violators of our civil liberties.”
“The defendant assaulted a handcuffed arrestee who posed no threat to him or to the other escorting officer,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate violation of anyone’s civil rights, regardless of incarceration status.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Winstead faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellison Travis for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.