Feds Charge Simpson County (MS) Deputy with Hitting, Kicking a Black Man Handcuffed to a Bench and Shackled w/Leg Irons
/From [HERE] A Simpson County Sheriff’s Deputy appeared for an arraignment Thursday after he was indicted for using excessive force against an arrestee who was handcuffed.
The U.S. Attorney's Office issued a statement Thursday identifying the deputy as Adrian Durr, 43, of Magee. Durr allegedly used excessive force against an arrestee in the custody of the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office.
Simpson County is less than 40 miles southeast of Jackson.
Court records show the alleged abuse happened Feb. 18 and identified the man Durr arrested only by the initials D.J.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Durr struck the arrestee in the head with the handgrip of his taser, while the arrestee was "handcuffed to a bench that was bolted to the floor and shackled with leg irons on his ankles." Durr then allegedly kicked the arrestee in the head "rendering him unconscious."
The office said court records show the arrestee was "handcuffed and hobbled" with leg irons on his ankles at all times.
According to the indictment, security camera video of the booking area shows the altercation.
Durr has been charged with Deprivation of Civil Rights Under Color of Law. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Durr's trial is set for Dec. 2.
Durr's attorney Michael Cory told the Associated Press both Durr and the man accused of being abused are Black.
"Our citizens deserve credible law enforcement to safeguard the community from crime," FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff said in a statement. "The actions of Mr. Durr significantly deprived the citizens of that protection and eroded the trust earned each day by honest law enforcement officers throughout the nation. The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating those who misuse their authority and violate individual's rights in the execution of their sworn duties."
Simpson County neighbors Rankin County, which was the location of an unrelated 2023 police brutality case. Five former Rankin County deputies and a former Richland police officer pleaded guilty to federal and state charges in torture of two Black men, and all six men were sentenced by April 2024.
In September, the Justice Department announced it was investigating whether the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department has “engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the constitution or federal law,” including excessive force, unlawful stops, arrests and seizures and racial discriminatory policing practices.
The Justice Department issued another report last month that the Lexington Police Department violated the civil rights of its residents following an investigation that began in November 2023. Lexington is about 60 miles north of Jackson.