A former Louisiana sheriff’s office deputy has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for assaulting a pretrial detainee.
Javarrea Pouncy, 31, a former sergeant with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office (DPSO), previously pleaded guilty to one count of using excessive force against the detainee.
During his plea, Pouncy admitted that, in September 2019, he and another DPSO deputy conducted a strip search of a detainee in the DeSoto Parish jail as part of the detainee’s booking.
Pouncy admitted further that, during the search, the deputies repeatedly punched the detainee in his head, face and body, even though the detainee did not pose a threat to either officer.
As a result of the assault, the detainee was hospitalized and sustained a broken eye socket and broken nose, among other injuries.
“The defendant pledged to protect and serve his community, but instead, he repeatedly punched a detainee without justification, leaving him bloodied and broken,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Clarke added people in detention have the right to be treated humanely and not to be brutalized by excessive force, pointing out that the sentence conveys that we will not tolerate such abuses behind bars. The Justice Department will hold accountable officials who violate detainees’ civil rights.”
“Pouncy took advantage of his position, the power that it yields and the prestige of the badge in committing this criminal act,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana.
Brown explained that decency and order can co-exist with preserving an offender’s civil rights. Prosecutions such as these are critical to ensure that the heinous acts of bad law enforcement officers do not hamper the good work of law enforcement officers.
“Yesterday, Pouncy faced the consequences of his unnecessary and violent actions toward someone he was supposed to protect,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division.
“It’s a sad day when we have to investigate someone who took an oath to uphold the law. His actions undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system, and I want the public to know we will not tolerate it,” added Yarbrough. “The FBI is committed to investigating criminal misconduct, no matter who the subject is or what position they hold in their community.”
The other deputy involved in the assault, DeMarkes Grant, previously pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice in connection with the assault. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
