A former Polk County deputy will serve a year and nine months in federal prison for beating an inmate.
On Thursday, a U.S. District Court judge in Rome also sentenced Joshua David Lowe to three years of supervised release following his time in prison.
Lowe, 25, was a sergeant with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office when the attack occurred, federal prosecutors said.
In August, Lowe pleaded guilty to violating the inmate’s civil rights by using excessive force.
Lowe admitted that he abused his authority as an officer on Feb. 7 when he “unnecessarily and repeatedly struck an inmate in his head and face while the inmate was strapped in a restraint chair,” Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement.
Other deputies reported the inmate was injured.
“One of the detention officers who witnessed the assault told federal authorities that he ‘saw blood everywhere’ and that the inmate was ‘spewing blood’ after he was attacked by Lowe,” Yates said.
The incident was investigated by the FBI and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
"Law enforcement personnel, as a whole, understand their responsibilities and duties and are very aware that such instances of excessive force erode public trust and only make their jobs more difficult,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory Jones said in a statement.
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