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Press Release

Former Homer police officer sentenced to six months in prison for civil rights violation

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a former Homer Police Department Officer was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison for violating the civil rights of a woman and for making false statements about the incident to the FBI.

Willie Fred Knowles, 66, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine. According to the August 5, 2016 guilty plea, Knowles admitted that on October 29, 2012, while he was on duty as a police officer, he pushed a woman down and struck her face and body without legal justification.  Knowles also admitted that he falsely told FBI agents that the woman started the incident by grabbing him and jumping on his back, and he falsely denied that he ever hit the woman.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisiana State Police.  The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick of the Western District of Louisiana.

Updated November 10, 2016

Topic
Civil Rights