Update: Former Tallassee Police Investigator Sentenced to Prison

The U.S. Dept. of Justice says former Tallassee police investigator Brandan Smirnoff has been sentenced to 22 months in prison for assaulting a handcuffed, 24-year-old man.

Investigators say Smirnoff, 27,  encountered the victim, identified by the Justice Department as “J.M.”, after a vehicle pursuit.

This is what happened, according to the Justice Department: “After officers pursued J.M. for several minutes on a four-wheeler, J.M. stepped off the four-wheeler, laid face down on the ground, and allowed several Tallassee police officers to handcuff him. While J.M. was handcuffed and compliant, Smirnoff lifted him into the air and slammed him to the ground. Smirnoff then lifted the victim into the air and slammed him to the ground a second time. Moments later, before Smirnoff placed the victim into a patrol car, Smirnoff slammed the victim’s head into the side of the vehicle. Throughout the assault, the victim was handcuffed, compliant, and did not pose a threat.”

“This defendant abused his power as a police investigator by assaulting a restrained person in his custody. Officers who willfully use excessive force not only violate the Constitution, they erode the public trust in law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting victims of these abuses and upholding the Constitution and laws that protect us all.”

“Mr. Smirnoff not only violated the victim’s constitutional rights by assaulting him repeatedly, he committed a crime that dishonored the whole law enforcement community,” said U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. “A significant sentence of imprisonment was therefore appropriate in this case, not only to punish Mr. Smirnoff for his actions, but also to deter others from committing acts that lead to distrust between law enforcement and the public.”

On April 19, Smirnoff pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting J.M. while acting under color of law.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Montgomery Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Simpson of the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division.

— Information from U.S. Dept. of Justice