On Friday, a federal judge sentenced an Indianapolis police officer to a year and a day in prison for kicking a restrained man in the face during an arrest in 2021. The officer’s conduct, according to the court, “shocked the conscience.”
Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled against the prosecution and sentenced Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Sergeant Eric Huxley to home detention for the first six months following his release from prison. Magnus-Stinson urged leniency for Huxley because of his absence of a criminal record, the needs of his family, and his desire to accept responsibility for his conduct.
The judge, on the other hand, said that she “physically pulled away” after watching Huxley stomp on Jermaine Vaughn’s face on body camera footage. “It was that brutal,” stated Magnus-Stinson.
Despite the fact that Vaughn was not there, Huxley addressed him by stating, “I failed you that day,” before getting his sentence.
He has acknowledged to obsessing about the events that led to the end of his once-promising career as a police officer. Please realize that I had no intention of crushing your head or smashing your face with my foot.
The prosecution hoped for a penalty that “police officers will hear about.”
Huxley, 44, pleaded guilty in May to a felony charge of deprivation of rights under color of law and is now on leave from the police department. He was sentenced to 18-24 months in jail by the federal authorities.
U.S. Attorney Tiffany Preston urged the indictment because “police officers will hear about it.”
“They’ll pay attention to it… and hopefully that will change future behavior,” she said, referring to police wrongdoing.
Prosecutors said that Huxley “betrayed the trust of the community he served” by assaulting Vaughn during his arrest in September 2021. He was a “rogue officer,” as the press dubbed him.
His attorney, John Kautzman, replied by writing that although his client’s actions were “serious and troublesome,” they were also “a one-time totally out of character lapse in judgment.”
Instead of jail, Kautzman sought for a sentence of probation. If the court disagreed, he offered a six-month prison term followed by a year of home detention.
“This incident has been devastating not only for the victim, but also for Mr. Huxley and his family,” Kautzman said. Huxley’s problems, he said, were his incapacity to care for his aging parents and his teenage daughter. His family’s purchasing binge over two years ago resulted in roughly $50,000 in debt, and they are “currently exploring” bankruptcy as a remedy.
Huxley will retire from the Indianapolis Police Department, according to Kautzman. As a result, the Indianapolis Civilian Police Merit Board, which resolves officer reprimand and termination cases, will not have to conduct a hearing.
Magnus-Stinson acknowledged his lack of a criminal record and his accomplishments as a police officer, but she disagreed with Huxley’s description of the event, in which he accidently kicked Vaughn while trying to restrain him.
“That’s not what happened,” Magnus-Stinson pointed out. But “that’s not what’s shown in the video.” She described the kick as “senseless brutality.” Vaughn posed no risk since he was handcuffed at the time, according to the prosecution.
Huxley’s federal charges may result in 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release upon his release.
What happened during Jermaine Vaughn’s arrest?
Huxley was charged in the federal Southern District of Indiana in October 2022, more than a year after the acrimonious and violent incident.
Police in Indianapolis released body camera footage from September 24, 2021, showing a shackled Vaughn falling on his back on the Monument Circle steps in downtown Indianapolis. Huxley then seems to stomp his foot on Vaughn’s face.
Vaughn was criticizing another officer as Huxley was examining his pockets and trying to remove his belt. At trial, US prosecutors would have alleged that Huxley’s conduct violated Vaughn’s rights under federal law or the US Constitution, including his right not to be subjected to excessive force by police enforcement.
Vaughn was charged with two misdemeanors in Marion County court, disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement, but the charges were subsequently withdrawn against him.
Huxley is being prosecuted by the state.
Huxley was charged in federal and state courts. In Marion County, his case is still pending, and he is charged with two Level 6 felonies: official misconduct and assault. There will be a hearing in October.
In February, Vaughn filed a lawsuit against Huxley, the city of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Police Department, and the other officers involved in his detention. He claims he was the victim of aggression, unlawful and excessive force, governmental misconduct, negligence, and other wrongdoing, and he wants monetary compensation. The lawsuit is still ongoing.
Officers who think they have been wrongfully accused by the police department launch a lawsuit.
Two of the cops who were on the scene when Vaughn was detained are also being sued. After reporting Huxley’s actions to Indianapolis police, they launched a retaliation case against the agency.
Matthew Shores and Christopher Kibbey were exposed to “abusive ridicule, embarrassment, and defamatory statements” by the chief and higher-ups, according to the federal complaint. Shores and Kibbey have both been placed on administrative leave “despite any wrongdoing on their part.” On behalf of the police department, the city’s lawyers have refuted the accusations.