Ex-trooper may face federal charges for Striking Unarmed Handcuffed Black Man
Federal authorities are considering charges against a former South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper sentenced to jail this week after being found guilty of assaulting two men during a traffic stop. Although Chad A. Williams was found guilty of two counts of simple assault, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall Prince said Thursday that federal authorities are pondering the idea of charging the former trooper with civil rights violations and unnecessary use of excessive force. Williams, 29, was found guilty Tuesday of the two simple assault charges after a two-day trial. Those charges stemmed from a July 20, 2003, traffic stop. The incident was captured on two Highway Patrol dashboard police videotapes. Representing the U.S. Attorney's office in Columbia, Prince attended the trial, saying federal officials were interested in at least two aspects of the events that transpired on the videotape. The fact that two men were assaulted while handcuffed is one concern. Another is the amount of aggression Williams displayed toward the men.
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