A federal grand jury has indicted Jacob Christopher Slawson, 29, a former officer with the San Carlos Apache Police Department in Arizona, on two federal counts: deprivation of rights under color of law (18 U.S.C. 242) and falsification of records (18 U.S.C. 1519).
According to the indictment, after an arrestee was handcuffed and secured in the back of a police vehicle, Slawson punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious, then pulled him from the vehicle, causing severe head injuries on the concrete. When Slawson learned he was under investigation for excessive force, prosecutors allege he falsified a fellow detective’s report with the intent to obstruct the investigation.
He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on both counts. The San Carlos Apache Police Department says it opened an internal investigation, cooperated fully with the FBI, and states Slawson was dismissed before completing his probationary period for unrelated policy violations. The department is now reviewing its policies and procedures.
The case was announced by the DOJ Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and the FBI Phoenix Field Office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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