A former D.C. corrections officer has owned up to his brutal act against a handcuffed inmate, pleading guilty to a federal civil rights infraction. Marcus Bias, 27, admitted in court to the charge of deprivation of rights under color of law, a felony that could land him behind bars, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and other federal officials on Wednesday.
According to the Justice Department, the ugly incident unfolded inside the D.C. Department of Corrections on June 12, 2019, when Bias, unprovoked pushed the head of the detainee J.W. into a metal doorframe. The attack left the victim, who was still reeling from the effects of O.C. spray and compliant at the time of the assault, with serious injuries requiring medical attention.
“Corrections officers, like any other member of law enforcement, are sworn to protect the people in their custody,” U.S. Attorney Graves said. “Officer Bias violated this oath and the Constitution when he pushed the head of a handcuffed inmate in his care into a metal doorframe, causing substantial injuries to the inmate. Such abuses of power will not be tolerated and this Office, along with our federal partners, will investigate and charge any member of law enforcement who deprives a citizen of their civil rights.”
The narrative of corrupt power was further echoed by the Department's Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke: "The Justice Department will continue to prosecute those who abuse their authority while standing up for the civil rights of the victims of these crimes," as per the Justice Department. Also chiming in was FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg, who said that law enforcement officers are given authority and responsibility, but if they abuse that power, they will be held accountable for those actions. Bias is set to be sentenced at a later date, facing the music for his action that betrayed both the badge and the public trust.
