U.S.
Department of Justice April 22, 2014 • Office of Public Affairs (202)
514-2007/TDD (202) 514-1888
The
Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury in Florence, South
Carolina returned a two-count indictment today charging Eric Walters and
Franklin Brown, both former police officers with the city of Marion Police
Department, with using unreasonable force against a female citizen.
Walters
and Brown have each been charged with one count of deprivation of rights under
color of law, specifically alleging that, while acting as police officers, each
defendant used unreasonable force on the victim, resulting in bodily injury.
The indictment alleges that on April 2, 2013, Walters and Brown each used their
respective tasers multiple times on the victim.
If
convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in
prison.
An
indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent
unless proven guilty.
This
case is being investigated by the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Resident Agency
of the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Nicholas Murphy and Henry
Leventis for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney
Bill Nettles and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potterfield for the District of
South Carolina.