Former Manchester Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations

A former Manchester Police Department officer, Shawn Curry, 36, was sentenced on Wednesday, to 18 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, for deprivation of rights under color of law.

According to his plea agreement, on September 3, 2021, Curry was on duty and acting as a police officer with the Manchester Police Department.  He and other officers were made aware of a 911 call from a pool hall outside the Manchester city limits, indicating that someone was fighting the owner of the pool hall and would not leave.  Curry and two other officers arrived at the pool hall and encountered the owner, who was holding a pool stick, and the victim, who was fighting with the owner. The owner ran away from Curry, who then tased him in the back and used force on him.

 After his use of force on the owner, Curry went into an adjoining room, where other officers were attempting to arrest the victim.  Instead of attempting to place handcuffs on the victim, Curry grabbed the victim’s hair and delivered five blows to his head and face.  Curry admitted to knowing from his training and experience that this use of force was unreasonable and unlawful, but he used the unlawful force anyway.

When interviewed later, Curry knowingly lied to law enforcement, falsely telling them that he hit the victim in the shoulder and claiming he only made incidental contact with the victim’s face once, by accident.  Curry also omitted any mention of his use of force on the owner of the pool hall or the victim in his incident report and use of force memorandum, even though he knew he was required to report them. 

Under federal law, Curry must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years. 

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General and the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Dembo and Trial Attorney Tara Allison from the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.