Ex-Gary Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation

Terry Peck receives a year in federal prison for using excessive force during an arrest, causing bodily injury to a handcuffed man.

Terry Peck, a former officer with the Gary, Indiana, Police Department, has been sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison for violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force.
Peck pleaded guilty to slamming the handcuffed arrestee's face and head against a police vehicle during a traffic stop in March 2019, causing bodily injury and breaking the man's tooth.
The sentence also includes one year of supervised release following Peck's prison term.
Peck was fired in 2020 by the Gary Police Civil Service Commission following a disciplinary complaint related to the assault.
The U.S. Department of Justice has reiterated its commitment to prosecuting law enforcement officers who violate civil rights, stating that all people have a right to be free from excessive force by police.