Former Police Officer Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison

MEMPHIS, TN—Former Memphis Police Officer Bridges McRae was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, two years’ supervised release, and a $200 special assessment by United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson for violating the rights of Duana Johnson and for tax evasion, announced Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez and United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Edward L. Stanton, III.

McRae admitted that on February 11, 2008 he arrested Johnson and, while in the booking area of the Criminal Justice Complex, unjustifiably struck Johnson several times. McRae also admitted that from 2004 to 2008 he evaded his federal income taxes by providing the city of Memphis a W-4 form that claimed he had 99 dependents. As a result the city did not withhold any federal income taxes from his pay check. McRae then intentionally did not file a tax return, thus never paying any federal taxes.

“Every officer has a duty to ensure public safety, and this officer abused his power by violating the rights of someone in his custody,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The department will aggressively prosecute any officer that violates the public trust and fails to uphold their oath to protect the community.”

“Every American is guaranteed the right to fair treatment by the police,” said Edward L. Stanton, III, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. “When a rogue police officer abuses the trust placed in him by the community and assaults a person in his custody, we will aggressively prosecute the case to vindicate that right.”

Mr. Stanton commended the work of Special Agent Tracey Harris of the FBI, the lead case agent. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steve Parker and Jonathan Skrmetti.