VA Police Officer Heads To Prison For Violating Veteran's Rights

TAMPA, FL — A former Veterans Affairs Bay Pines police officer was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison after pleading guilty of violating an Army veteran's Fourth Amendment rights.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced Norman Nicholson, 57, of Largo to 24 months in federal prison for depriving an individual of his Fourth Amendment right to a reasonable search and seizure under color of law and one count of knowingly making false entries in a report with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation.

Nicholson pleaded guilty on March 24.

According to court documents, while employed as a police officer with Veterans Affairs in Bay Pines in October, Nicholson instructed an Army veteran to leave the premises. The veteran complied so Nicholson followed the veteran outside and arrested him.

In doing so, Nicholson swung the veteran around and placed both of the veteran’s hands behind his back, according to the affidavit. The veteran did not resist the arrest and moved his left arm behind his back on his own.

After the veteran was already handcuffed and in custody, Nicholson rammed the veteran’s head on the fence, according to the affidavit. Nicholson then used his right hand to pull the veteran’s legs apart, causing the veteran to fall face forward into the fence and then to the ground.

Nicholson then forcefully grabbed the veteran from the ground, and lifted him up. While lifting him up, Nicholson used his right hand to grab the veteran by his face and nose.

Court documents said Nicholson then authored two arrest affidavits and a police report in which he made numerous false statements regarding the incident. Specifically, Nicholson stated that the veteran “refused to leave the property…became resistant…pulled away…raised his hand in an aggressive posture…did not obey commands to stop resisting…resisted on the ground…and buckled his knees in an attempt to make himself dead weight.”

Those statements were false and were made to influence the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, said the affidavit.

As a result of this arrest, the veteran spent several days in custody at the Pinellas County jail.

“The right of individuals to be safe and secure against unreasonable searches and seizures is at the very cornerstone of our democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Officers who violate their oath to uphold that Constitutional right and falsify facts to impede or obstruct an investigation will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Nicholson’s sentence demonstrates VA-OIG’s commitment to ensuring that VA’s law enforcement officers are held to the highest standards and that all veterans are afforded their constitutional rights," said David Spilker, special agent in charge for the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. "Veterans should never be subjected to excessive force and false statements by sworn law enforcement officers, whose mission is to safeguard veterans, VA employees and facilities.

"Mr. Nicholson's actions not only violated the victim's civil rights, but created public distrust and doubt toward the law enforcement community. We are pleased with (the) sentencing which illustrates the FBI's commitment to take all allegations of civil rights violations seriously," said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael McPherson.

See related story: Ex-Bay Pines Police Officer Indicted For Excessive Force