VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) — The United States Department of Justice’s Middle District of Georgia Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that four former Georgia Correctional officers were sentenced for their involvement in assaulting an inmate.
According to the attorney’s office, Lieutenant Geary Staten, age 31, Sergeant Patrick Sharpe, age 30, and Deputy Correctional Officers Brian Ford, age 25, and Jamal Scott, age 35, were each sentenced to periods of incarceration for their respective roles in the incident.
The attorney’s office added that Sharpe was also sentenced for hitting another inmate during a separate incident.
Sharpe was sentenced to 48 months in prison, Staten 14 months in prison, Scott 12 months in prison and Ford 12 months and a day in prison.
Because Ford and Scott provided assistance during the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into the incident, both received reduced sentences.
On Dec. 29, 2018, Sharpe was accused of instructing Ford and Scott to assault a handcuffed inmate in response for an earlier altercation between the inmate and a female officer at the prison.
While on duty, Sharpe, Ford, Scott and other unnamed correctional officers escorted the inmate to an outdoor area at the prison to assault the inmate.
Scott and Ford executed a command from Sharpe to take the inmate to the ground and began striking the handcuffed inmate several times.
After the incident, Staten directed the involved officers not to write a report regarding the unlawful use of force and Staten did not write a report himself about the incident. A report is required to be filed.
Staten also did not inform law enforcement officials about the incident, which was an error.
According to the attorney’s office, Sharpe was sentenced for an assault of another inmate that occurred Sept. 24, 2018 while on duty as a correctional officer.
It that incident, Sharpe had assaulted a handcuffed inmate in retaliation for an earlier interaction between the inmate and a different female officer.
While escorting the inmate, Sharpe was accused of striking the inmate while his fist was wrapped with a pair of handcuffs.
The inmate was struck twice in the face and once in the back of the head.
The attack led to the inmate losing consciousness and sustaining lacerations to his face and head.
In both cases, the attorney's office said inmates were restrained and compliant.
