In a case that has echoed through the corridors of Williamson County justice, a former sheriff's deputy has taken responsibility for his misconduct during a 2019 traffic stop, KXAN reports. Christopher Pisa, 29, entered a guilty plea on charges of official oppression and assault, following an incident where he was accused of using excessive force against Imani Nembhard, a mother of two.

As part of his plea agreement, Pisa has been sentenced to 18 months probation and a 12-month jail sentence that will be probated; he will serve only six days behind bars, with three to be served immediately and the remaining three on the anniversary of the offense, District Attorney Shawn Dick's office stated, Pisa will also permanently relinquish his peace officer's license and must complete 200 hours of community service.

On the night of April 21, 2019, the encounter turned forceful when Pisa initiated a stop for a missing front license plate; he became involved in a heated exchange with Nembhard about the well-being of her children, afterward physically removing her from the vehicle, according to CBS Austin. The lawsuit highlights states that Pisa, without provocation, manhandled Nembhard, slamming her face-first into the ground. The subsequent actions were equally disturbing: Nembhard, who neither resisted Pisa nor carried a weapon, was later handcuffed to a hospital bed, denied access to a restroom, and had to resort to degrading means to relieve herself.

Even more unsettling was the initial charge against Nembhard: assault on a public servant and resisting arrest. After a video recording of the incident was scrutinized, prosecutors discerned the unjust use of force by Pisa, leading to the dismissal of the charges against Nembhard. Notably, Pisa left the Williamson County sheriff’s office two days post the Nembhard arrest and has since been charged with official oppression and assault. Adding to the controversial atmosphere, Pisa revealed a disturbing practice, stating that Williamson County deputies were incentivized with steakhouse gift cards for displaying force. [MORE]

After the Texas Rangers conducted a thorough investigation into the incident, Pisa was formally indicted by a grand jury, the culmination of a legal saga that included his rehiring by the Williamson County Sheriff's Office on administrative duty in January 2021 before he had his day in court, to which the charges of official oppression and assault in October 2020 eventually led to the probe, the guilty plea and Pisa's resignation and stripped privilege to enforce the law. [MORE]