A former Fall River cop will be trading in his badge for prison bars, sentenced to 33 months for an in-custody assault and cover-up. Nicholas M. Hoar battered a detainee with a police baton and concocted a story to hide his brutality, the feds said.

Apparently wielding justice with an iron fist, Hoar, 37, clocked a suspect hard enough to require stitches using his 22-ounce steel baton back in December 2020. To make matters worse, he filed false police reports to mask the incident, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In a statement obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy underscored the betrayal stating, "Police officers take an oath to uphold the law and the vast majority of men and women in uniform bravely protect and serve the public across this District each and every day. Nicholas Hoar violated his oath and broke the law."

Following his February 2024 conviction on civil rights and false reporting charges, the ex-cop was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs. The former officer also faces a year of supervised release. In detailing the sentence, Jodi Cohen, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division, emphasized that retention of civil rights is for everyone – those under arrest included. "What Nicholas Hoar did is indefensible and a serious divergence from the oath he took to faithfully serve and protect the citizens of Fall River," Cohen said, in a stand against police misconduct, according to a statement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and John J. Reynolds III of the District's Criminal Division prosecuted the case, sending a clear message that law enforcement accountability remains a priority in the justice system. Hoar's sentencing reflects a sustained commitment to upholding the civil rights that are, supposed to be, guaranteed to all.