Former IN Sergeant Gets Federal Prison for Excessive Force

Department of Justice — Source: DOJ / DOJ

INDIANAPOLIS — A former correctional officer has been sentenced to federal prison after using excessive, unlawful force against a handcuffed inmate at a maximum-security prison in Indiana.

Shaunacy Edmonds, 36, of Muncie, was sentenced to five months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney, II. Edmonds had previously pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law. Edmonds served as a sergeant and correctional officer at the Pendleton Correctional Facility—a level-three maximum-security adult prison operated by the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC)—where he had been employed since August 2020.

According to court filings, the incident occurred on March 14, 2024, after an inmate, identified in court records as E.C., attempted self-harm by creating a homemade noose inside his cell. In accordance with prison protocol, the IDOC Quick Response Team removed E.C. from his cell and transported him to the prison infirmary so nursing staff could evaluate him safely.

While seated in a chair in the infirmary, an agitated E.C. threatened to spit on the responding officers. Edmonds responded by placing a spit mask over the inmate’s face.

Surveillance camera footage captured the violent escalation that followed:

E.C. turned his head to speak to Edmonds.
Edmonds lifted E.C. and slammed him headfirst directly onto the floor.
Edmonds drove his knee into E.C.’s head.
As other officers attempted to gain control of the inmate, Edmonds delivered six closed-fist strikes to E.C.’s head.
A lieutenant was forced to physically intervene, blocking Edmonds’ hand and ordering him to cease the assault.

E.C. remained handcuffed throughout the entire attack.

Following the assault, E.C. was taken to a shakedown booth to calm down and await further medical evaluation. He sustained a cut to his forehead and a swollen lip as a result of the strikes and being slammed onto the floor. Edmonds later acknowledged that slamming a handcuffed individual headfirst onto the ground was completely unjustified and violated standard IDOC use-of-force training.

The assault was deemed so severe that immediately after Edmonds filed his official incident report, a supervisory officer escorted him out of the facility. He was subsequently fired from his position as a correctional officer.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Indianapolis Field Office with support from the Indiana Department of Correction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter A. Blackett and Carolyn Haney prosecuted the case. Federal authorities emphasized that law enforcement officials who abuse their authority will face strict consequences.

“When a corrections officer takes the law into their own hands and inflicts punitive, excessive force on an inmate, they don’t just endanger that individual, they undermine the safety and integrity of the entire facility. This kind of conduct escalates tension, encourages resistance rather than cooperation, and puts fellow officers at greater risk,”

said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Sgt. Edmonds’ actions were not only reckless and cruel, but a blatant betrayal of IDOC training and standards. This sentence sends a clear message: such abuse of authority will not be tolerated.”

“Every person, regardless of where they are, is entitled to the protections guaranteed by the Constitution,” said Timothy O’Malley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “Those who misuse their authority under color of law to violate another person’s civil rights will be held accountable. The FBI remains committed to protecting civil rights and ensuring public officials uphold the responsibilities entrusted to them.”