Resident at Center of Excessive Force Claims Found Guilty of Obstruction

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A Bartow County jury has convicted an Emerson man who accused authorities of using excessive force on one of two obstruction charges.

Michael Ray West was found guilty of one obstruction of an law enforcement officer charge, but acquitted of the other charge, the office of District Attorney Rosemary Greene said Friday morning.

The jury returned the verdict around 9:45 a.m. Jan. 16 in Bartow County Superior Court Judge D. Scott Smith’s courtroom.

In November, West was acquitted on one count of obstruction of a law enforcement officer and three counts of attempting to remove a weapon of a public officer. The charges stemmed from an arrest that led to charges of excessive force late last year.

West was arrested Nov. 12, 2013, and charged with two counts of theft by conversion, obstructing an officer and taking an officer’s weapon. West, who advertised on Craigslist his business selling new and used campers shells and repairing camper shells, was accused of taking money from customers for work he did not complete and products he failed to provide.

While the arrest occurred in the Emerson Police Department’s jurisdiction, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force agents and U.S. Marshals participated in the operation.

Angela West accused authorities of using excessive force on her father when they arrested him, and pointed to surveillance video that appeared to show an officer stepping on her father’s head after he was placed onto the ground.

After the jury’s conviction, West was taken into custody and Judge Smith scheduled the sentencing hearing to take place Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Additionally, the judge also directed the State Probation Office to conduct a pre-sentence investigation into West and make its report available to the court and all parties by the sentencing date.