Two former Marion police officers, Franklin Brown and Eric Walters, were sentenced to prison for using excessive force on a woman in Marion, South Carolina.
Franklin Brown, 35, and Eric Walters, 39, were sentenced to 18 months and one year and one day in prison, respectively, by U.S. District Court Judge R. Bryan Harwell for repeatedly tasing a woman during her detainment on April 2, 2013. The sentence also includes three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment for each defendant.
According to court documents, Walters initially tased the woman, causing her to fall to the ground and injure her head. Once she was down, Walters continued to tase her multiple times. Brown then arrived on the scene and tased the woman again, despite her being restrained in handcuffs and surrounded by law enforcement.
Brown and Walters admitted that there was no legitimate law enforcement purpose for repeatedly tasing the woman, as she did not pose a threat to the officers. The incident was investigated by the FBI’s Myrtle Beach Division, and the case was prosecuted by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division stated that the defendants abused their authority as law enforcement officers by repeatedly tasing a defenseless, compliant victim. U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles praised the collective efforts of the Marion Police Department, the FBI, and the Civil Rights Division in bringing the officers to justice.
The case serves as a reminder that abusive and dishonorable behavior by law enforcement officers will not go unpunished. The sentence is a result of the investigative work of the FBI’s Myrtle Beach Division and the prosecution by Trial Attorneys Henry Leventis and Nicholas Murphy of the Civil Rights Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potterfield of the District of South Carolina.
Franklin Brown and Eric Walters’ actions have been met with severe consequences, and their sentencing serves as a warning to law enforcement officers who abuse their authority.
Related Federal Cases
- Two Ex-Cops Plead Guilty to Excessive Force, South Carolina 2024 · South Carolina
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- Jonathan Felkel, Shooting at Neighbor, South Carolina, 2023 · Alabama
- Beth Drake, Domestic Violence Enforcement, South Carolina 2024 · Alabama
- Jeremy Lamar Hayes, Armed Bank Robbery, South Carolina 2023 · Michigan
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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