Illinois officer accused of beating, tasing handcuffed man
- The former officer faces at least one federal civil rights charge
- He was indicted on Sept. 27 for the Nov. 20, 2022 incident
- The Telegraph: The injured man also suffers from a mental disability
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ST. LOUIS (NewsNation) — A former Illinois police officer faces a federal civil rights charge and six felony charges for allegedly beating a handcuffed man, according to the Eastern District of Missouri’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Justin Gaither, 33, was indicted on Sept. 27 after the alleged assault on Nov. 20, 2022. Since the man was handcuffed, he was not posing a threat to the officer, according to the indictment.
Gaither pleaded not guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
The Telegraph reports Gaither hit the 19-year-old resident in the face and later used a Taser on him while he was strapped to an ambulance gurney. The Telegraph, citing Illinois State Police, reports the 19-year-old suffers from a mental disability.
