Former Kentucky jail deputy convicted in relation to assault of inmate
Jurors have convicted a former Rockcastle County deputy jailer on charges related to an assault on an inmate.
Derek Steven Clark, 25, of Mount Vernon was convicted on two charges of injuring, oppressing, threatening and intimidating the inmate and one charge of making a false entry in the jail records to cover up the crime, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr.
The jury convicted Clark on Thursday after a four-day trial in federal court in London.
Clark was charged with having another inmate assault a man after placing him in a restraint chair.
A grand jury charged that Clark told authorities D.W. became combative as Clark and others were trying to restrain him and spat in inmate T.A.’s face, and that after T.A. slapped D.W., D.W. bit his lip and spat blood in T.A.’s face before T.A. punched him in the nose.
The reality was that D.W. was not combative and T.A. hit him at Clark’s direction after he was restrained and not posing a threat, the grand jury charged.
The indictment alleged Clark gave the inmate a note saying “get him,” after D.W. was restrained.
U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom scheduled Clark to be sentenced in November.
He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
