Former D.C. Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Violation for Assaulting a Handcuffed Inmate

A former District of Columbia Department of Corrections Officer, Marcus Bias, 27, pleaded guilty today to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.

“People held inside our jails and prisons should never be subject to the kind of violent and unjustified assault that was carried out by this corrections officer,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant violently rammed an inmate’s head into a metal doorframe while he was handcuffed and posed no threat. When jail officials violate their oath and betray the trust placed in them by abusing people in their custody, the Justice Department will investigate and prosecute these offenses and will stand up for the civil rights of the victims of these crimes.”

“Corrections officers, like any other member of law enforcement, are sworn to protect the people in their custody,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Officer Bias violated this oath and the Constitution when he pushed the head of a handcuffed inmate in his care into a metal doorframe, causing substantial injuries to the inmate. Such abuses of power will not be tolerated and this office, along with our federal partners, will investigate and charge any member of law enforcement who deprives a citizen of their civil rights.”

“The defendant, a former corrections officer, pushed a handcuffed inmate’s head into a metal doorframe, causing significant physical and emotional distress,” said Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s guilty plea is another example of prison officials who have been held accountable for civil rights violations, and the FBI remains committed to protecting the dignity and civil rights of individuals in custody. We will continue to investigate violations under color of law and work with our partners to hold responsible anyone who commits these crimes.”

“One of the FBI’s core missions is to protect the civil rights of every person within the United States,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Law enforcement officers are given authority and responsibility, but if they abuse that power, they will be held accountable for those actions. Today’s plea is an example of the FBI and our partners at the D.C. Department of Corrections working together to ensure that no one is above the law and that justice is served.”

According to court documents, Bias, intentionally and without provocation, pushed a detainee’s head into a metal doorframe while escorting him within the Department of Corrections on June 12, 2019, causing serious injuries. At the time, the detainee, J.W., had his hands handcuffed behind his back, was suffering from the effects of O.C. spray, was surrounded by five other officers and was not resisting. J.W.’s injuries required outside emergency medical attention.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 28. Bias faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, Rebekah J. Bailey, formerly a Trial Attorney with the Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.