A former Hapeville police officer is headed to federal prison after prosecutors said he repeatedly tased a handcuffed detainee and then tried to cover up what happened with a false report.
On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced 31-year-old Shevoy Brown of Hampton, Georgia, to three years and one month in prison. He will also serve two years of supervised release after completing his sentence. The punishment follows Brown’s conviction by a federal jury in February.
The case stemmed from an incident on June 3, 2024, when officers arrested a man for trespassing at an apartment complex in Hapeville. After the arrest, the man was taken to Hapeville Police Department headquarters and placed alone inside a holding cell.
According to evidence presented in court, the detainee was handcuffed to a stationary bench and posed no threat to officers. Prosecutors said Brown entered the cell twice and used his Taser on the man at least six times without any legal justification.
The most disturbing details presented at trial involved the repeated shocks delivered while the detainee remained restrained. Prosecutors said one of the Taser deployments targeted the man’s genitals. The assault continued until another officer stepped in and intervened.
The victim suffered injuries serious enough to require medical treatment. An ambulance later transported him from police headquarters for further care. Court evidence showed the detainee was defenseless during the encounter and unable to pose a danger to anyone around him.
After the incident, prosecutors said Brown attempted to justify his actions by filing a use-of-force report that did not match the facts. He claimed he used the Taser only twice because the detainee was kicking the holding cell door and window. However, evidence presented during trial showed the detainee had stopped striking the window before Brown entered the cell and never kicked anything.
Investigators also found that Brown failed to mention several key facts in his report. He omitted that the detainee was handcuffed to a bench and left out four additional Taser deployments. Prosecutors argued that the report was an effort to obstruct any investigation into the incident.
Federal officials said the case serves as a reminder that law enforcement officers can be held accountable when they violate the rights of people in their custody. Following the conviction and sentencing, Brown now faces years behind bars for actions prosecutors described as an abuse of authority and a violation of constitutional protections.
