Richard Ross Wiedo, 37, a former Louisville Metro Police Department officer, pleaded guilty to violating an individual’s rights by using excessive force during a protest in 2020.
The incident occurred on May 30, 2020, when Wiedo deployed a foam round from his 40mm direct impact munition into a crowd of protestors after a bottle was thrown from the back of the crowd.
According to the plea agreement, Wiedo admitted that he had not identified who had thrown the bottle and was not deploying his 40mm direct impact munition at anyone who was being actively aggressive.
The foam round struck an individual at the front of the crowd in the face, leading to Wiedo’s guilty plea to one misdemeanor count of using unreasonable force.
The maximum fine for Wiedo’s crime is $100,000, and as part of the plea agreement, he will forfeit his Kentucky law enforcement certification and agree not to seek any future law enforcement employment.
The investigation into Wiedo’s actions was conducted through the Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force, involving the FBI Louisville Field Office and the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky, and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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