A former police officer in Maryland was recently convicted for using excessive force during a traffic stop, a federal jury determined. Philip Dupree, 40, formerly with the Fairmount Heights Police Department was found guilty of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, along with comments from Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke and FBI Assistant Director David Sundberg. Dupree, who now faces up to 10 years behind bars, will be sentenced at a later date with a particular consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other statutory factors.
"We depend on law enforcement officers to protect our communities from crimes and to protect our civil rights while doing so," U.S. Attorney Graves said. Graves pointed out the breach of community trust that occurs when an officer such as Dupree "unjustly and unreasonably" uses their authority against citizens. The conviction stemmed from an incident on Aug. 4, 2019, where Dupree initiated a traffic stop on Eastern Avenue NE, just within the District of Columbia's border and allegedly without proper cause.
During the stop, Dupree's aggressive handling of the situation escalated to physical violence, even after the victim was handcuffed and placed in Dupree's personal vehicle. The encounter, much of which was captured on both body-worn camera footage and cell phone video by an eyewitness, showed Dupree pepper-spraying the restrained driver in the face and chest. Later, instead of following department policy to transport the victim to county lock-up, Dupree took the driver to the local station and reportedly fabricated a statement of Probable Cause claiming, the driver had attacked him.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke vehemently condemned Dupree's actions, stating, "Police brutality and violent misconduct against defenseless people are disgraceful acts that have no place in our society today." Similarly, FBI Assistant Director Sundberg reassured the public of the FBI's dedication to investigating such cases, emphasizing their commitment to protecting citizens' civil rights against law enforcement misconduct.
Dupree was arrested on August 24, 2022, in Washington D.C., following an investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office with the prosecution being led by Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Howland for the District of Columbia. Details of Dupree's sentencing will be released upon scheduling by U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
