Former Kershaw County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Department Officer Charged with Civil Rights Violation

WASHINGTON - Oddie Tribble, a former police officer with the Kershaw County, S.C., Sherriff’s Office, was charged today with violating the civil rights of an arrestee on Aug. 5, 2010.

The indictment alleges that Tribble was a sergeant with the Kershaw County Sherriff’s Office at the time of the incident and that Tribble willfully deprived the victim of his right to be free from excessive force when he struck the victim with his police issued baton. As a result, the victim suffered a fractured leg.

If convicted, Tribble faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Columbia, S.C., Division of the FBI with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara McGregor and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Christopher Lomax.