Former Gary Police Officer Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charge for Assaulting Arrestee | OPA

Terry Peck, 46, a former police officer with the Gary Police Department, was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Hammond, Indiana, for using excessive force against an arrestee.

The indictment charges Peck with a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law. Specifically, the indictment alleges that on March 19, 2019, Peck assaulted an arrestee, identified in the indictment only as R.H., by slamming his head into the side of a patrol vehicle. The indictment further alleges that the incident resulted in bodily injury to R.H.

If convicted of the deprivation of rights charge, Peck faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; actual sentences are often much lower than the statutory maximum. If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the Judge after a consideration of federal statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson of the Northern District of Indiana made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang of the Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.