AM STONE | WVOW NEWS
CHARLESTON, WVa A former police officer for the City of Logan was sentenced to nine years in prison for violating a man’s civil rights by excessive force.
A federal jury in November convicted 45-year-old Everett Maynard of using excessive force against a person in police custody.
MAYNARD
“This defendant’s abuse of law enforcement authority inside a police station was egregious and caused serious injuries,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Police misconduct undermines community trust in law enforcement and impedes effective policing. This sentence confirms that law enforcement officers who use excessive force against arrestees will be held accountable.”
The jury was presented evidence that Maynard assaulted the man, identified as “R.W.”, in the bathroom of the Logan Police Department at city hall. Jurors found the victim had been dragged to an adjoining room and his head rammed into a doorframe. The assault knocked out the arrestee and left him with a broken shoulder, a broken nose and a cut to his head that required staples. Maynard berated the victim during the assault for “making demands” of officer by asking to go to the bathroom. Moreover, Maynard bragged about the assault while the victim was unconscious in a pool blood.
“The outstanding work of the FBI, the West Virginia State Police, and the prosecution team ensured that justice was served in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Will Thompson of the Southern District of West Virginia. “When Mr. Maynard abused his position of authority to violate the civil rights of an arrestee, he betrayed the public’s trust and dishonored the policing profession. We will continue to work with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and our law enforcement partners to protect the civil rights of all citizens and hold officers accountable for criminal misconduct.”
“The actions of Mr. Maynard are disturbing and violate the trust placed in him by the community,” said Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is the result of the FBI’s dedication to Civil Rights by holding people accountable when they abuse their authority and violate the constitutional rights of those they swore to protect. No one is above the law. “
Maynard's sentence includes nine years in prison and three years of supervised release.