Ex-trooper may face federal charges for Striking Unarmed Handcuffed Black Man
Friday, September 17, 2004 at 06:54AM
TheSpook
Federal authorities are considering charges
against a former South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper sentenced to
jail this week after being found guilty of assaulting two men during a
traffic stop. Although Chad A. Williams was found guilty of two counts
of simple assault, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall Prince said
Thursday that federal authorities are pondering the idea of charging
the former trooper with civil rights violations and unnecessary use of
excessive force. Williams, 29, was found guilty Tuesday of the two
simple assault charges after a two-day trial. Those charges stemmed
from a July 20, 2003, traffic stop. The incident was captured on two
Highway Patrol dashboard police videotapes. Representing the U.S.
Attorney's office in Columbia, Prince attended the trial, saying
federal officials were interested in at least two aspects of the events
that transpired on the videotape. The fact that two men were assaulted
while handcuffed is one concern. Another is the amount of aggression
Williams displayed toward the men. [more ] and [more ]
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