4 Alabama corrections officers indicted, accused of excessive force, obstruction

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors informed media sources that four officers from Alabama have been charged guilty of using unjustified physical violence and filing false reports.  

The name of the correction officers is Jordan Thomas, Keith Finch, Kevin Blaylock, and Orlanda Walker. 

The Justice Department said that the incident under investigation is where the four officers kicked a prisoner and beat him using their batons even after he surrendered. 

No charge of unjustified violence has been filed against Walker. However, since Walker was the supervisor, together with the other officers, Walker filed false reports. 

The officers could not be reached for comments and it’s still unclear if the officers had access to their attorneys. 

The decision of the grand jury came within a week of the incident’s reporting. The investigation has been made public by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which further revealed that excessive force against men in the Alabama prison is routine. 

The investigators also revealed that prison officials often fail to report or document such incidents. 

Police brutality has become a topic of great public interest since the start of the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained momentum after George Floyd was murdered by arresting police officers. 

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