Former MPD officer sentenced for excessive force during arrest

David Royer
·1 min read
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former Memphis Police Department officer was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison and one year supervised releas after he was found guilty of excessive force against a person he was arresting.

Armando Bustamante had pleaded guilty in federal court in February to a felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law for assaulting a suspect during an arrest in 2021. He could have faced up to 10 years in prison.

Mother speaks out about teen son being assaulted by MPD

“Public trust in law enforcement is essential to public safety,” U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz with the Western District of Tennessee said in a statement. “When an officer violates that trust, it makes policing less effective and far more dangerous for both officers and average citizens.”

The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated the case.

The Memphis Police Department has been under scrutiny this year for alleged abuses by officers, especially since the Jan. 10 death of Tyre Nichols.

Six officers have been fired and five face criminal charges so far in that case. Meanwhile, the police department and the city are under investigation by the Department of Justice.

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