Fulton County, Georgia, Jail Officer Indicted for Strangling Inmate

A former Fulton County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office detention officer was indicted on federal charges of depriving a pretrial detainee of her civil rights under color of law.

The indictment charges former Detention Officer Monique Clark, 32, with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for willfully using unreasonable force against a pretrial detainee, who is identified in the indictment as C.B. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Clark, without legal justification, strangled C.B. while C.B. was handcuffed, resulting in bodily injury to C.B.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia and Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Atlanta Field Office investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Gray for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.