Former police officer Everett Maynard was convicted one year ago when a federal jury found him guilty of violating an arrestee’s civil rights by using excessive force against him.
Maynard, was convicted by a jury in Charleston on Thursday, March 17, 2022, for savagely beating a man who had been arrested while he was a police officer with the Logan, West Virginia, Police Department.
The assault initially rendered the victim unconscious and left him with a broken shoulder, a broken nose, and a cut to his head that required staples to close.
New reports said the same police officer was captured on video subduing Romeo Johnson, a Black student at Logan High School in 2017, and taking the child to the ground with a chokehold after the boy refused to remove his hood, which many believed as a racially motivated attack.
The jury heard evidence over the course of two days that showed that Maynard assaulted another victim in the bathroom of the Logan Police Department before dragging him into an adjoining room, hauling him across the room, and ramming his head against a doorframe.
After the assault left the victim unconscious in a pool of his own blood, Maynard bragged about his use of force.
“The Constitution and its Bill of Rights afford all people in our nation the right to be free from unlawful abuse by police officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate criminal misconduct by law enforcement officials and will hold accountable those who commit civil rights violations.”
“Everett Maynard abused his authority as a police officer and betrayed the public’s trust when he violated an arrestee’s civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Will Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia. “While the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers perform their duties with honor and professionalism, those who violate the rights of others will be held accountable. The prosecution of cases like this is important to my office, the citizens of West Virginia and the policing profession. I commend P.D. Clemens, the former Chief of the Logan Police Department who now serves as the Sheriff of Logan County, for quickly referring the matter to the West Virginia State Police and the FBI for independent investigation.”
“Everett Maynard used his badge as a license to abuse his power,” said Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of FBI Pittsburgh. “An officer’s use of excessive force violates the oath they are sworn to uphold and the trust placed in them by the community. The FBI is responsible for upholding the Constitution and protecting the American people, and no one is above the law, including law enforcement officers who abuse their authority.”
Maynard was sentenced to nine years in prison plus three years of supervised release.
When people say “support the police” in response to Black Lives Matter protests or other public demonstrations, they are not standing up for the brave men and women who enforce the law. They are defending killers and corrupt cops by placing tribalism over patriotism and common sense.
Those who over react to police violence and other misconduct would subside if they were not incited by police violence and other misconduct. Eliminate the cause if you want to ameliorate the problem.
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