Craig Billings, 39, a former deputy sheriff with the Murray County
Sheriff’s Office in Sulphur, Okla., pleaded guilty today in federal
court to a one-count information charging him with Deprivation of Rights
for using unreasonable force and violating the civil rights of an
individual who was being booked into the Murray County Jail.
According to court documents,
on Oct. 8, 2011, Billings, while working in his capacity as a deputy
sheriff, physically assaulted the victim, who was handcuffed at the time
and not a physical threat to anyone. Billings tackled the victim to
the ground, positioned himself over the victim, grabbed the victim by
the chin and began to bang the victim’s head into the floor. In so
doing, Billings subjected the victim to unreasonable force, punishing
him for verbally offending Billings. As a result, the victim sustained a
mild concussion and suffered pain and swelling to his head. Billings
knew that he was prohibited from using physical force on a restrained
arrestee who is not a physical threat, and assaulted the victim anyway.
“Every person in America has the right to be free from excessive
physical force when they are taken into custody by law enforcement
officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez of the
Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. “While the vast majority
of officers uphold this right on a daily basis, the Department of
Justice and the Civil Rights Division will vigorously prosecute officers
who do not act in accordance with the Constitution.
Billings was remanded into custody at the time of his guilty plea. He
faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has
not yet been set.
This case was investigated by the Ardmore Resident Agency of the
Oklahoma City Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant
U.S. Attorney Dean Burris for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and Trial
Attorney Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department
of Justice.
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