Initially charged with deprivation of rights under color of law, writing a false report about the incident, and making false statements to law enforcement, a former Captain with the Madison County Detention Center, in Richmond, Kentucky, recently pleaded guilty to violating the rights of a pretrial detainee by using unreasonable force against him.
On March 3, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Capt. Gregory Evans after he repeatedly punched and strangled a detainee identified only as “E.B.” As a result of the assault, the detainee lost consciousness and suffered a broken jaw.
After punching the unconscious detainee in the back and face, Evans falsified an incident report and made false statements to the FBI. Specifically, Evans falsely claimed that he had ordered E.B. to turn around prior to the assault, that E.B. ignored his commands, and he deliberately omitted the fact that he had strangled E.B.
On Wednesday, Evans pleaded guilty to violating the detainee’s rights under color of law. According to the plea agreement, Evans also admitted to writing a false report and making false statements.
“The defendant is being held accountable for using excessive force to assault and strangle a man out of anger,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a press release. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officials who deprive individuals of their Constitutional rights.”
“When members of law enforcement engage in excessive force, they not only victimize an individual but do grave disservice to the dedicated work of so many others who honorably serve the public,” stated U.S. Attorney Carlton Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Investigating and prosecuting this conduct is critically important, both to the victims and the Constitutional rights of all individuals.”
Evans faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He is currently scheduled to be sentenced on July 29.
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