From [HERE] A black sergeant with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office has been sentenced for using excessive force against someone who was detained.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Javarrea Pouncy, 31, has been sentenced to just over three years in prison (37 months), plus three years of supervised release, for assaulting a pretrial detainee.

Pouncy previously pleaded guilty to one count of using excessive force. When he pleaded guilty, the DOJ says Pouncy admitted that in September of 2019, he and another deputy performed a strip search on a man being detained at the DeSoto Parish Jail. Pouncy also reportedly admitted that during the search, the deputies punched the man in the head, face, and body, even though the man did not pose a threat to either of them. As a result of the beating, the man had to be hospitalized; he sustained a broken nose, broken eye socket, and other injuries, the DOJ says.

“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. “People in detention have the right to be treated humanely and not to be brutalized by excessive force. This sentence sends a clear message 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. “Decency and order can coexist with the preservation of an offender’s civil rights. Prosecutions such as these are critical to ensure that the good work of law enforcement officers is not hampered by the heinous acts of bad 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. 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 beating, DeMarkes Grant, pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison.