By Olivia Lloyd
The Charlotte Observer
TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. — Two corrections officers covered up the use of excessive force when one punched an inmate in the face and broke his jaw, federal officials said.
Now, the former officer accused of lying for his co-worker has been sentenced to 15 months in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee announced in a Feb. 13 news release.
Sebron Hollands pleaded guilty in October to accusations of providing false information in a report after his co-worker was accused of punching an inmate at the Northwest Correctional Complex, officials said.
“The defendant pledged to protect and serve but instead he abused his authority as a corrections officer to try to cover up another officer’s use of excessive force,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in the release.
His co-worker, Javian Griffin, pleaded guilty to using unlawful force on an inmate as well as providing false information in his report, officials announced in October. He’s expected to be sentenced in March.
Hollands’ public defenders declined to comment on the charges. McClatchy News reached out to Griffin’s attorneys on Feb. 14 but did not immediately receive a response.
‘Without justification’
In their June 2020 reports, the tactical officers with the Tennessee Department of Corrections wrote that an inmate became “combatant” and charged at Griffin while Hollands was present.
Both officers reported Griffin used “soft hand techniques” which include grabbing, holding, or using a joint lock to restrain someone, as opposed to hard techniques such as punching or kicking.
Neither officer wrote in their report that Griffin punched the inmate or that the inmate was injured in the process, officials said.
Instead, officials said they later found Griffin punched the inmate “without justification.”
“Griffin admitted that at the time he punched (him), the inmate did not resist or pose a threat justifying his use of force,” officials wrote.
The two strike force officers were indicted in 2022. Unlawful use of force carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while writing a false report carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
“Instead of upholding and enforcing the oath he took, these officers used their position of authority to violate an inmate’s rights and then conceal the harm they caused,” U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz said. “No correctional officer is above the law.”
Officials recommended Griffin be sentenced to four years in prison. After Hollands serves a year and three months, he has two years of supervised release.
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