Former Kentucky sheriff's deputy sentenced to 110 months in prison for violating constitutional rights

Former Kentucky sheriff's deputy Tanner M. Abbott was found guilty in March of violating the constitutional rights of several people he arrested while working as a police officer in the Bluegrass State. On Thursday, he was sentenced to 110 months in prison.

Abbot, 31, was convicted on five felonies and one misdemeanor charge for incidents involving multiple people he arrested, according to the US Department of Justice. The charges included the use of excessive force on four people Abbot arrested, writing and conspiring to write false police reports, and conducting an illegal search on an arrestee.

“This defendant habitually and routinely abused his authority and used his badge to shield himself from accountability for years,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division stated. “This sentence should send a loud message that such abuses by law enforcement will not be tolerated. The Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to hold law enforcement accountable when they violate the civil and constitutional rights of people in their country.”

The FBI Louisville Field Office was responsible for the two-year investigation into Abbot's case. Evidence against the former sheriff's deputy included “a larger pattern of abuse of authority spanning his career.” This included frequent use of excessive force against criminal suspects and a habit of Abbot's to brag about such exploits. The FBI discovered text messages on Abbott's work-issued cellphone in which he “bragged, sometimes in graphic and vulgar terms” of the injuries he caused to several of the people he arrested.

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Additionally, two witnesses testified against Abbott that they had been subject to his physical abuse during an arrest. The investigation also revealed that Abbott sometimes took photographs of these injuries and texted them to friends, according to the US Department of Justice. Abbott was also found guilty of obstructing justice because of false testimony he provided during his hearing.

“Instead of protecting and serving the community, the defendant was physically abusing people — even bragging about the injuries he caused,” US Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky stated about Abbott's case. “That is not law enforcement; that is brazen criminal conduct. The community is deserved better. Fortunately, he now has a criminal sentence that he deserves.”