Corrections Officer Indicted On Excessive Use Of Force Charge

ATLANTA, GA -- A senior correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta has been arraigned on charges he assaulted an inmate and filed a false account to cover up the alleged attack. Lt. Gregory McLeod, 44 was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and was arraigned late last week during a hearing in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas.

The East Point resident has been charged with unnecessarily assaulting the inmate, writing two false official accounts about the encounter and lying to federal investigators about his conduct, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia said.

“We recognize that detention officers have a difficult job as they maintain order and protect inmates in our nation’s prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “This officer, however, allegedly abused his power, committed a violent and unnecessary assault on an inmate, and then filed a false report to cover up the incident.”

According to Pak, the indictment and other details outlined in court, Mcleod, who was working as a supervisor at the prison, allegedly strip-searched an inmate in his office in front of three correctional officers in 2016. After complaining that the search was taking too long, the inmate was repeatedly punched in the face by McLeod.

After the alleged assault, McLeod wrote an incident report and separate memo about the incident in which he "falsely claimed that the inmate swung a closed fist at McLeod and attempted to assault other officers before the officers could apply hand and leg restraints," the U.S. Attorney's Office added.

The indictment contends that the senior correctional officer used excessive force, a violation of the inmate's constitutional rights. It also charges McLeod of intentionally obstructing the investigation by writing false reports and lying to two federal agents.

“The FBI continues to play a vital role in ensuring that all credible allegations of civil rights violations involving law enforcement officers are appropriately investigated," David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, said last week. "That was certainly the case with U.S. Bureau of Prisons Lt. McLeod, wherein allegations of excessive force were received, resulting in a federal investigation, grand jury indictment, and today’s arraignment in federal court. The FBI would like to remind the public, however, that the vast majority of law enforcement officers and corrections officers provide admirable services while often under stressful and time constrained situations."

This case is being investigated by the DOJ Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Alan Gray and DOJ Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn are prosecuting the case.

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