U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV | U.S. Department of Justice
A former officer of the Manchester Police Department, Shawn Curry, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for civil rights violations. U.S. District Judge Robert Wier delivered the sentence following Curry's admission of guilt to charges of deprivation of rights under color of law.
The incident occurred on September 3, 2021, when Curry was on duty and responded to a 911 call at a pool hall outside Manchester city limits. The call reported a fight involving the pool hall owner and another individual. Upon arrival, Curry tased the fleeing owner in the back and used force against him.
Curry then entered an adjacent room where other officers were attempting to arrest the victim involved in the altercation. Instead of assisting with handcuffing, Curry grabbed the victim by the hair and struck him five times in the head and face. He later admitted that his actions were unreasonable and unlawful based on his training and experience.
During subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Curry lied about his actions, claiming he only hit the victim's shoulder and made accidental contact with his face once. He also failed to report his use of force against both individuals in official documents.
Under federal regulations, Curry is required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for release. After serving his time, he will be under supervision by the U.S. Probation Office for two years.
The sentencing was announced by Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Kristen Clarke from the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Michael E. Stansbury from the FBI's Louisville Field Division.
The investigation was carried out by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General along with the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Dembo and Trial Attorney Tara Allison are handling prosecution duties for this case.
