Former Cop Pleads Guilty to Beating Handcuffed Man

A former Mississippi Bureau of Investigations Officer has pleaded guilty to using excessive force against a handcuffed man, in a case that raises questions about the power and accountability of law enforcement in the United States.

John Winstead, a former member of the U.S. Marshals’ Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, pleaded guilty in a Louisiana federal court to willfully depriving arrestee K.K.H. of his Fourth Amendment right to be free from objectively unreasonable force. According to court documents, on September 16, 2021, Winstead struck K.K.H. forcefully in the face, knocking him to the ground while he was already handcuffed and being escorted safely by another officer.

“Law enforcement officials in our country are entrusted with the responsibility to protect and serve communities, not to exploit and abuse them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant violently abused his power by using excessive force against an arrestee in his custody who was handcuffed and posed no threat. The Justice Department is committed to holding accountable officers who violate the civil and constitutional rights of people in their custody.”

The case was investigated by the DOJ-OIG and the FBI Jackson Field Office, and is being prosecuted by 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.

“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 in ensuring 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.”

Winstead faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. The incident raises questions about the use of force by law enforcement officers and the accountability of those who abuse their power.

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