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Excessive Force Indictment in Georgia Police Scandal
Four law enforcement officers, including a former deputy, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Georgia for their role in a violent arrest at the 2012 Bainbridge BikeFest motorcycle event.
The indictment charges former Grady County Sheriff’s Deputy Wiley Griffin IV with violating the civil rights of A.P. by using excessive force during the arrest, which left the civilian with significant facial injuries, including cuts, bleeding, swelling, and bruising.
A seven-count indictment was returned against Griffin, Decatur County Sheriff’s Office Captain Elizabeth Croley, Decatur County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Kines, and former Decatur County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Wade Umbach.
The indictment alleges that Croley, Kines, and Umbach wrote false reports to cover up the assault, and that Kines and Umbach made misleading statements to the FBI to obstruct the investigation.
Croley is also accused of withholding material evidence from the District Attorney’s office and A.P.’s defense attorney during the prosecution of A.P. arising from the arrest.
The indictment carries significant penalties, with Griffin facing up to 10 years in prison for the civil rights charge, and Croley facing up to one year in prison. Croley, Kines, and Umbach could face up to 20 years in prison for falsifying reports, and Kines and Umbach face the same sentence for making misleading statements to obstruct justice.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
RELATED: Camden Sheriff’s Sgt. Aldridge Indicted for Rights Violations
RELATED: Camden Sheriff’s Sgt. Aldridge Indicted for Civil Rights Violations
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Civil Rights
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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