SAWYER ‘DEPRIVED MAN OF RIGHT TO NOT HAVE ASS KICKED BY COPS’

Three months after one South Carolina trooper was acquitted for using excessive force on a fleeing criminal, another has plead guilty.

Ex-Highway Patrol officer John B. Sawyer pleaded guilty Monday to depriving a man of his right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer, according to U.S. Attorney Walt Wilkins. In other words, the guy was caught red handed (screen cap above) kicking a dude in the head for no reason.

Sawyer was indicted in July after the Department of Public Safety released a video that showed him kicking a man in the head after a 2006 highway chase. The video released after media requests was one of several showing South Carolina troopers acting aggressively.

Sawyer was placed on leave and later resigned from the highway patrol. Sawyer had pleaded not guilty in July. He’ll be sentenced later. [AP]

If I were Sawyer, I would just say I was practicing for the big family reunion football game. His colleagues would have probably make fun of him for being the kicker, but it sure as hell would have beat prison. Especially when you’re a cop. I hear all the stuff from the movies is true.