A former Texas chief deputy recently pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights offense felony charge due to his assault of a detainee.

The announcement was made by Matthew DeSarno, special agent in charge of the FBI's Dallas Field Division; Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division; and Brit Featherston, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas; a DOJ news release said.

“Those who hold leadership positions inside sheriff’s offices violate the public trust when they abuse their official authority and position to carry out assaults on people detained in their custody,” Clarke said in the news release. “The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers, at every level, who abuse their authority by using excessive force to deprive people of their constitutional rights.”

The defendant, 61-year-old Steven "Craig" Shelton, admitted in a federal court of the Eastern District of Texas to abusing the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force against him, the news release said.

“It is the undisputed duty of a law enforcement officer to protect and serve,” Featherston said in the release. “Public trust in law enforcement is eroded when officers do not follow the laws they are sworn to enforce, and my office will continue to hold those accountable who think they are above the law.”

Luis Quesada, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, had a hand in bringing the offense to trial. 

“Officers who use excessive force break the trust of their communities and their oath to protect and serve,” he said in the release. “Violating the civil rights of an arrestee is a clear abuse of authority and will not be tolerated by the FBI. We are dedicated to upholding the constitutional rights of everyone and expect those in law enforcement to do the same.”