Ex-Alabama Corrections Officer Sentenced To 7 Years For Assaulting Restrained Inmate
On Tuesday, a former Alabama corrections officer was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for beating a restrained inmate and using chemical spray on him.
Mohammad Shahid Jenkins pleaded guilty in September to using excessive force on an inmate at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility near Bessemer, and lying in an official report to cover up the abuse, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
On Feb. 16, 2022, Jenkins entered the victim’s cell ― whose real name is Victor Russo according to the Alabama Political Reporter, but is identified as “V.R.” in the statement ― and assaulted the victim over the course of five minutes.
“Jenkins willfully deprived inmate V.R. of his right to be free from excessive force by kicking him, hitting him, spraying him with chemical spray, striking him with a can of chemical spray and striking him with a shoe while V.R. was restrained inside of a holding cell and not posing a threat,” the statement said.
Jenkins left and reentered the cell numerous times “outside the presence of other officers and inmates” to continue assaulting Russo and using a chemical spray on him, according to the press release.
Jenkins later filed a false incident report where he denied using any force on the inmate. In a report from the Montgomery Advertiser, Russo died nine days after the assault. A separate report from AL.com noted that officials have not labeled his death a homicide.
As part of a plea agreement, Jenkins also admitted to assaulting a separate inmate in 2021.
“Jenkins willfully deprived inmate D.H. of his right to be free from excessive force by repeatedly spraying D.H. with chemical spray while D.H. was handcuffed behind his back and compliant, by hitting D.H. in the head with the can of chemical spray and by delivering an open-hand strike to D.H.’s head while he was suffering from the effects of chemical spray,” the Justice Department said.
Jenkins was sentenced to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The 52-year-old spent 20-plus years in law enforcement before his sentencing.
