A former Fulton County detention officer has admitted to strangling a female detainee, copping to a plea of violating civil rights with excessive force, the Justice Department reported. Monique Clark, 32, pleaded guilty to a single count indicating a rampant disregard for the woman's civil liberties, prosecuted under the legal premise of deprivation of rights under color of law, the incident happening during the booking process at a county facility.
"This defendant wrapped his hands around the throat of a handcuffed woman and strangled her into unconsciousness while she was being booked into the Fulton County Jail system," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said. According to the Office of Public Affairs, condemning the act as "cruel and abusive" and in violation of policies clearly prohibiting such restraints, Clark now faces a maximum of ten years in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan echoed the sentiment, stressing that Clark's reprehensible behavior does not reflect the larger workforce's commitment to duty.
The case, spotlighting a clear breach of trust and power, was jointly investigated by the FBI's Atlanta Field Office and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office’s Office of Professional Standards, both parties gearing towards a narrative of zero tolerance for prison staff abuse. "By violating his sworn oath as a detention officer to protect people, Clark betrayed every honest, hardworking officer and crossed the line to criminal behavior," Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office stated, as per the Office of Public Affairs, reflecting a sentiment aimed at deterrence and declaring unacceptance of such misconduct.
According to court records, the victim was in the custody of the Alpharetta Police before being transported to Fulton County North Annex Jail where Clark, knowing full well the policies against chokeholds, assaulted her even though she posed no threat whilst handcuffed. A date for Clark's sentencing will be set where the federal judge will consider U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors, as Assistant U.S. Attorney Bret Hobson and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division prosecute the weighty matter.
