A former Georgia corrections officer was sentenced to a year in prison for abusing a female inmate, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Dwight Hamilton, 54, of Atlanta, a sergeant at the DeKalb County Jail, will also receive one three years’ supervised release and a $100 special assessment in addition to the jail sentence.
Mr. Hamilton’s former supervisor, Leonard Dreyer, was sentenced to one year of probation conditioned upon his serving 21 days in a halfway house. Mr Dreyer was sentenced for attempting to obstruct the federal investigation of Mr. Hamilton and making false statements to the FBI.
Mr. Hamilton admitted that he used a stun gun on a female inmate without justification in 2011. The inmate asked to speak to a supervisor because jail officials unexpectedly canceled her family visitation. Rather than explain the situation, Mr. Hamiltion shocked the inmate until she defecated herself, according to court documents.
As a result of the tasing, the inmate has permanent scarring to her breast.
Mr. Hamilton, who had been trained on proper Taser usage, admitted that he knew it was wrong to use the devise on the inmate at that time, the Justice Department said.
This case was investigated by the Atlanta Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brent Alan Gray and Trial Attorney Christopher Perras of the Civil Rights Division.
“Hamilton’s unjustified violent actions grossly violated the civil rights of an inmate whom he had a sworn duty to protect,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Any unlawful act of violence or malice by an officer against an inmate will not be tolerated by this Department of Justice.”
Source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/feb/9/dwight-hamilton-former-corrections-officer-sentenc/