Responsible for breaking an arrestee’s shoulder and knocking him unconscious, a former West Virginia police officer was recently sentenced to nine years in federal prison for violating his civil rights.
On November 17, 2021, a federal jury found Logan Police Department Officer Everett Maynard guilty of violating an arrestee’s civil rights after assaulting a man identified as “R.W.” in the bathroom of the Logan Police Department. The victim suffered a broken shoulder, broken nose, lacerated head, and was knocked unconscious after Officer Maynard hauled him across the room and slammed his head against a doorframe.
Maynard reportedly attacked R.W. for requesting to go to the bathroom. After the assault left R.W. unconscious in a pool of his own blood, Maynard bragged about his use of excessive force.
On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that Maynard was sentenced to nine years in federal prison along with three years of supervised release.
“This defendant’s abuse of law enforcement authority inside a police station was egregious and caused serious injuries,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a recent press release. “Police misconduct undermines community trust in law enforcement, and impedes effective policing.”
“The outstanding work of the FBI, the West Virginia State Police, and the prosecution team ensured that justice was served in this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Will Thompson of the Southern District of West Virginia. “When Mr. Maynard abused his position of authority to violate the civil rights of an arrestee, he betrayed the public’s trust and dishonored the policing profession.”
“The actions of Mr. Maynard are disturbing and violate the trust placed in him by the community,” asserted Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office.
COMMENTS