A federal jury in Valdosta, Ga., convicted former Omega Police Department Chief Walter Young, 54, for physically abusing a man in his custody, the Justice Department announced.
On March 24, 2011, Young assaulted Alfonso Moreno, a pretrial detainee, by repeatedly slapping and punching him in the head and face while he was fully restrained in a restraint chair, violating the civil rights of the detainee.
The assault was captured on the jail’s video surveillance system. The jury found that Moreno suffered bodily injury as a result of Young’s use of excessive force.
“Most officers do their job with honor, but this officer abused the authority entrusted to him by his community,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas Perez.
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29, 2012, before Judge Hugh Lawson, U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Forrest Christian and Trial Attorney Tona Boyd of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
This is not an isolated incident, and the federal government will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who violate the Constitutional rights of others.
The Omega Police Department has faced controversy in the past, with allegations of police brutality and misconduct.
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