A former sergeant with the Providence Police Department was sentenced Thursday to 42 months in a federal prison for a wrongful arrest.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore and U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman say a federal jury found William Dukes, Jr., willfully violated the Constitution by arresting the victim, while knowing that he did not have probable cause to believe the victim had committed any crime. They indicate the evidence presented at trial established after the victim called authorities seeking to file a complaint about an earlier interaction with Dukes, he wrongfully arrested the victim and then used a dangerous weapon that resulted in bodily injury.
Upon arriving at the victim’s home after 1:00 in the morning, the release says former police sergeant attempted to arrest the victim based solely on the phone calls he had made to the sheriff’s office and Kentucky State Police to make complaints about Dukes. When the victim insisted he had done nothing wrong and went back into his home, Dukes reportedly entered the home without a warrant, tased the victim, sprayed him in the face with pepper spray, hit him repeatedly with a police baton, and punched in the face, breaking the victim’s nose. Dukes then handcuffed the victim and charged him with four crimes, including a charge of property damage because blood from the victim’s broken nose got onto Duke’s police uniform.
