COLUMBUS — Federal authorities say a former Franklin Township police officer accused of kicking a handcuffed suspect in the head has been indicted on charges related to use of excessive force.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Ohio’s southern district says Robert Wells was indicted Thursday in Columbus on deprivation of rights and obstruction counts.
Wells was a part-time officer when authorities said a cellphone video from a May 1 vehicle pursuit showed him kicking the 18-year-old male suspect while the handcuffed teen was lying on the ground. Wells, 49, was then placed on administrative leave and resigned about a week later.
Wells’ actions deprived the victim of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer and resulted in bodily injury to the victim, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman said.
The indictment also claims that Wells made false and misleading statements in his arrest report in order to cover up the excessive force, Glassman said.
Deprivation of rights under color of law is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison when it results in bodily injury while Glassman says obstructing a federal investigation carries a potential maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
A message seeking comment was left Thursday at Wells’ attorney’s office.
A public phone listing for Wells, of Pataskala, couldn’t be found.