Thursday, April 29, 2021

Former West Virginia Law Enforcement Officer Charged with Federal Civil Rights Offense

 A federal grand jury in West Virginia returned an indictment Tuesday charging a former West Virginia police officer with a civil rights offense against an arrestee.

According to court documents, Everett Maynard, 44, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Charleston for using excessive force against an arrestee while Maynard was a police officer with the Logan, West Virginia, Police Department.

The indictment charges Maynard with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. The indictment alleges that Maynard used unreasonable force when he assaulted arrestee R.W., resulting in bodily injury to R.W.

The count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment.  

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Charleston Resident Agency of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office with the support of the West Virginia State Police and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kathryn E. Gilbert of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nowles Heinrich.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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