A Louisiana sheriff’s deputy who admitted to beating a detainee in a jailhouse laundry room after ordering him to strip naked, bend over, and cough during the booking process has learned his fate.
Javarrea Pouncy, 31, a former sergeant with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, was sentenced on Tuesday to 37 months in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced in a press release . He pleaded guilty in April to a count of using excessive force against the detainee. A second deputy involved in the assault, DeMarkes Grant, previously pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice and was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
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“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.”