Curtis Doughty, 27, of Muncie, Indiana, has been charged with federal civil rights violations stemming from an incident of alleged excessive force against an inmate while he was employed as a corrections officer at the Henry County Jail.
According to court documents, Doughty, who also served on the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team, was involved in a search of an inmate housing pod on February 13, 2024.
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During the search, inmates were moved to a holding area. Doughty was responsible for ensuring the inmates faced the wall and remained seated.
When one inmate turned his head away from the wall, Doughty allegedly shot him in the spine with a pepper ball gun at point-blank range, causing injury to the inmate. Doughty then reportedly taunted the other inmates about the effects of the pepper ball gas.
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The incident was promptly reported by other officers, leading to Doughty being removed from duty and sent home. The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.
If convicted of deprivation of rights under color of law, Doughty could face up to 10 years in federal prison.
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