A Georgia sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a person who had been exonerated and free of jail has been indicted on unrelated civil rights costs, federal prosecutors mentioned Thursday.
The civil rights counts in opposition to Buck Aldridge aren’t associated to the deadly capturing of the exonerated man, Leonard Remedy, who Aldridge killed throughout a wrestle after a site visitors cease in 2023. No felony costs have been filed in that case.
The federal indictment returned by a grand jury in Georgia introduced Thursday costs Aldridge with 13 counts, together with 4 counts of deprivation of rights underneath coloration of regulation.
He’s accused of utilizing extreme pressure in opposition to individuals arrested on 4 events, involving three victims. He’s additionally accused of getting ready “a number of” deceptive reviews to justify the usage of pressure, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of Georgia mentioned in an announcement.
The indictment alleges that in 2021 used a taser on one particular person with out justification and kicked that particular person; and that the identical 12 months he used a taser on somebody who was already handcuffed.
Aldridge can also be accused of punching a 3rd sufferer within the face with out authorized justification in 2022, and of repeatedly utilizing a taser on that very same sufferer after he had stopped resisting arrest.
The Camden County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned Thursday that Aldridge has been relieved of his duties efficient instantly.
“The Camden County Sheriff’s Workplace is dedicated to transparency and accountability at each degree,” Sheriff Kevin Chaney mentioned in an announcement.
Aldridge was indicted on 4 counts of deprivation of rights underneath coloration of regulation and 7 counts of falsification of data.
Federal court docket data didn’t present an lawyer for Aldridge, and didn’t present any occasions or plea within the case introduced Thursday.
Aldridge fatally shot Remedy, 53, on Oct. 16, 2023, after Aldridge pulled over Remedy’s pickup truck on Interstate 95 close to the Georgia-Florida line for dashing and there was a wrestle, officers have mentioned and video confirmed.
District Legal professional Keith Higgins, who reviewed physique digicam and different proof, in February introduced there can be no felony costs within the case. He advised The Related Press that “use of lethal pressure at that time was objectively cheap on condition that he was being overpowered at the moment.”
Physique digicam video launched in that case reveals Aldridge threatening to make use of a taser in opposition to Remedy throughout an argument, and Aldridge telling Remedy that he’s underneath arrest for dashing and reckless driving.
Sprint cam video reveals Remedy in a bodily wrestle with Aldridge and Remedy inserting his hand on the officer’s face and pushing his head again earlier than Aldridge shot him.
The capturing on the time was criticized by Remedy’s household, who mentioned the capturing was pointless. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation mentioned on the time that Remedy initially complied till studying he can be positioned underneath arrest.
Three years earlier than he was fatally shot, Remedy was launched from a Florida jail after 16 years on an armed theft conviction. He had been sentenced to life.
Remedy was discovered to have been wrongfully convicted in 2020.
A evaluation by authorities which had sought the Innocence Mission of Florida discovered that via an ATM receipt and different proof, Remedy was miles away from the theft. The Broward County prosecutor’s workplace concluded that Remedy didn’t commit the crime.
