A former police department employee in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday admitted injuring a handcuffed jail inmate.
Edward Lamar Barber, 42, was a prisoner processing clerk at St. Louis’ City Justice Center at the time. On July 11, 2019, after an inmate, “M.J.,” struck another clerk, a corrections officer used pepper spray and placed M.J. on the floor, Barber’s plea agreement says.
M.J. became compliant, was handcuffed and then Barber and the corrections officer took M.J. to a cell. M.J. did not have any injury to his face when he went into the cell, Barber admitted in his plea. While in the cell, Barber “put his hands on M.J. and forced him to the ground. As a result, M.J. suffered fractures to his nose and orbital wall,” the plea agreement says.
Barber pleaded guilty Monday in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a civil rights charge. Barber admitted willfully violating M.J.’s right to be free from unreasonable force.
Barber is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug is prosecuting the case.
