PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — A former Pike County deputy was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for committing civil rights violations by using excessive force in 2019.
In August 2023, 49-year-old Jeremy Mooney was convicted by a federal jury of violating an inmate's constitutional rights by pepper spraying and punching the victim in the head while in the custody of the Pike County Sheriff's Office while posing no threat to himself or others.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio, on Nov. 18, 2019, Mooney transported the victim to the Pike County Sheriff's Office headquarters where he placed the victim in a restraint chair. The chair secured the victim's hands behind his back and prevented him from being able to move most of his body.
For more than an hour, Mooney unlawfully used force against the victim on several occasions.
Mooney dragged the victim outside, while he was in the chair, and pepper sprayed him in the face.
The victim, writhing in pain, tipped the chair and landed on his back. Mooney then stood over the victim and deployed pepper spray into his face for a second time.
Mooney brought the victim back into the building and walked away. Over the course of several minutes, Mooney returned to where the victim was still handcuffed and restrained and punched him in the head 11 times. Mooney hit the victim hard enough to where he broke his own hand.
In addition to the 100-month prison sentence, Mooney will serve three years of probation once he is released from prison.
Another deputy, 47-year-old William Stansberry was also charged in the case. Stansberry violated the victim’s constitutional rights by willfully failing to intervene to prevent Mooney’s conduct.
Stansberry pleaded guilty in July 2023 to deprivation of civil rights under color of law.