Alabama’s justice system has been shaken once again as Mohammad Shahid Jenkins, a former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) lieutenant, has been charged with federal civil rights crimes for using excessive force on inmates and with obstruction offenses.
According to the indictment, Jenkins used excessive force on two inmates, V.R. and D.H., at ADOC’s Donaldson Correctional Facility. The indictment further charges Jenkins with two obstruction offenses related to his alleged excessive force on one of the inmates.
The alleged abuse occurred on two separate dates: February 16, 2022, and November 29, 2021. On February 16, 2022, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate V.R. of his right to be free from excessive force by kicking him, hitting him, spraying him with chemical spray, striking him with a can of chemical spray, and striking him with a shoe. Count two of the indictment alleges that, on November 29, 2021, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate D.H. of his right to be free from excessive force by spraying him with chemical spray multiple times, striking him with a can of chemical spray, and hitting him.
Jenkins faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on each excessive force charge and 20 years in prison on each obstruction charge. He also faces up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, and Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Martin for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Anna Gotfryd and David Reese of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jenkins’s alleged crimes are a stark reminder of the need for accountability and reform within Alabama’s correctional facilities. As this case moves forward, the people of Alabama will be watching closely to ensure that justice is served.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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