A former police officer from the Manchester Police Department, Shawn Curry, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for civil rights violations. U.S. District Judge Robert Wier handed down the sentence on Wednesday.
Curry's conviction stems from an incident on September 3, 2021, when he was on duty and responded to a disturbance at a pool hall outside Manchester city limits. Curry encountered the owner of the pool hall holding a pool stick and another individual involved in an altercation with the owner. Curry tased the fleeing owner and later used force against him.
Inside an adjoining room, where officers were trying to arrest the other individual, Curry grabbed his hair and struck him five times in the head and face. Despite knowing this use of force was unreasonable and unlawful based on his training, Curry proceeded with it.
Curry later provided false information to law enforcement by claiming he only hit the victim in the shoulder and made incidental contact with his face once. He also omitted details about his use of force against both individuals in official reports.
Federal law mandates that Curry must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before release. Following his prison term, he will be under supervision by the U.S. Probation Office for two years.
The sentencing was announced by Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge at FBI's Louisville Field Division.
The case was investigated by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General alongside the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Dembo and Trial Attorney Tara Allison are handling prosecution duties for this case.