The Justice Department says a former central Kentucky sheriff’s deputy was convicted in federal court of using unnecessary force to violate the civil rights of those he arrested and of obstruction of justice for attempting to cover up his actions. announced.
A Lexington jury returned the verdict for Tanner Abbott, 31, who was a Boyle County sheriff’s deputy at the time, the federal agency announced in a statement Tuesday.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Abbott punched a driver in the face during a traffic stop in January 2021 after the man asked to speak to his boss, then pulled him out of his car and hit him several more times. He announced that he had been hit twice. He said. When the passenger begged Mr. Abbott to stop, the deputy elbowed him in the face, breaking his glasses.
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The next month, Abbott arrested a passenger in the car, punched him in the face without probable cause, and conspired with another officer to aggressively approach Abbott before the man was struck, the report said. According to the statement, he wrote:
A former Boyle County, Kentucky, lawmaker has been convicted of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice. (Fox News)
The agency said the agent also searched a hotel room without a warrant in March of that year and wrote a false report stating that the guests had consented.
Then in April of that year, authorities said Abbott punched a handcuffed man in the face who posed no threat after a car chase.
“This case is a shameful example of a betrayal of trust, a gross violation of the rights of others, and a danger to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Scheyer IV. “When those charged with enforcing the law and protecting the public violate the rights of others and try to cover it up, it causes great harm. It not only hurts the victims; , which would undo the hard work and true dedication of many people in law enforcement. ”
Abbott was found guilty of four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, one count of conspiracy, and one count of falsifying records. He was acquitted of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
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He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 7, and faces up to 10 years in prison on each civil rights charge, up to 20 years on the record falsification charge, and up to five years on the conspiracy charge.
