It’s been 20 months since Tristen Quinn was stopped by the Wetumpka Police Department. Quinn was found guilty of resisting arrest Thursday. Just one day later, a former Elmore County deputy sheriff involved in Quinn’s arrest was indicted by a federal grand jury for depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law. Blake Hicks appeared in federal court Friday to answer to the indictment and was not detained. No future court dates have been set yet for Hicks.
Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Friday after the indictment was unsealed in federal court that Hicks worked for the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office for several years. Hicks came to Elmore County after a stint at the Montgomery Police Department.
This video is provided by attorneys representing Tristen Quinn. They say Quinn was a victim of police brutality at the hands of officers with the Wetumpka Police Department and the Elmore County Sheriff's Department
Franklin was aware of the incident with Quinn and said his department asked for help in looking into the matter shortly after it happened in March 2022.
“Our office called (Alabama Law Enforcement Agency) so an impartial investigation could be conducted,” Franklin said. “He was put on administrative leave without pay. After a few months of that, he left seeking employment elsewhere.”
Quinn’s trial in front of Elmore County District Judge Glen Goggans revealed a few more details about the arrest that left bruises and lacerations to Quinn’s face.
Elmore County deputy sheriff Bradley Evans testified he responded to a call where a Wetumpka police officer had been kicked in the mouth during a traffic stop. Evans said Quinn was already in the patrol officer’s car handcuffed when he arrived.
“[The officer] had minor injuries to his face,” Evans said. “He had a busted lip.”
A narrative of the incident in court records made no note of the officer’s injury. Evans said he saw the injuries after he responded to the scene on U.S. Highway 231.
Evans said he opened the door to the police vehicle with Quinn in it and then closed it. Moments later, Quinn was running past Evans and the Wetumpka officer. Evans said Quinn was instructed to stop. When he didn't, two tasers were fired.
Quinn received lacerations and bruises to his face in the incident.
The narrative for the incident reported Quinn fell on gravel on his face after the taser deployment.
Evans said in the trial, Quinn likely fell more on his side to his face. But it wasn’t Evans' case to start with. He was just assisting. The Wetumpka police officer filed the report.
Evans said the Elmore County Sheriff's Office doesn’t use body cameras. He also testified he believed cameras on the officer from the Wetumpka Police Department were not working properly.
Video captured by security cameras at a nearby convenience store showed the tasing and what appears to be Quinn falling backwards to the ground. Another law enforcement officer appears to be running and then jumping onto Quinn. Kicks and punches follow — neither of which was reported in the narrative.
“I witnessed [Quinn] get struck,” Evans testified. “But I didn’t witness him get kicked.”
Quinn’s attorney James Bodin asked Evans if he knew how Quinn got the lacerations, and Evans said he didn’t. When shown a video of the incident in court, Evans identified the person appearing to “stomp” Quinn in the face as an Elmore County deputy sheriff. Franklin said it was Hicks.
Quinn had been facing charges of obstructing government operations, two counts of resisting arrest, second-degree assault, attempting to elude law enforcement, fourth-degree theft of property, third-degree escape and disorderly conduct. The traffic stop was initiated because a tail light was malfunctioning but wasn’t cited. All but the resisting arrest charge from the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office remained following an undisclosed settlement earlier this year and presentation to an Elmore County Grand Jury according to court records. It followed a notice of claim before the filing of a lawsuit by attorneys for Quinn against the City of Wetumpka and Elmore County related to the March 2022 incident. No suit was ever filed.
On Thursday, Bodin asked Evans if he had retained legal counsel or had been reprimanded in regards to the Quinn incident. Evans said he hadn’t.
Bodin asked if there had been a civil release or if there was an F.B.I. investigation into the matter. But before Evans could answer, Goggans sustained a prosecution objection.
According to the incident report and Evans’ testimony, there were six officers on the scene with Quinn on March 5, 2022. Evans said not all the officers are currently employed as they were at the time of Quinn’s arrest.
Prosecutors argued the final resisting arrest charge stood on its own, separate from the other charges. Bodin said all the charges should be dismissed because Quinn was never issued a citation for the reason of the traffic stop — a non-functioning tail light.
Goggans found Quinn guilty of resisting arrest. Goggans suspended Quinn’s 30-day sentence and ordered two years of unsupervised probation. Quinn was also ordered to pay a $250 fine and court costs.
Bodin said the case is not likely over.
“We plan to appeal to circuit court,” Bodin said after the trial. “I don’t think a jury will come to the same conclusion.”
The United States Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Alabama issued a statement on Hicks indictment.
“Specifically, the indictment alleges that, without legal justification, Hicks punched and kicked the arrestee in or around the head while the arrestee was handcuffed and lying on the ground, resulting in bodily injury,” the statement reads.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
There is no bond in federal charges. Federal judges either detain or not detain defendants based on the gravity of the charges, flight risk and prior criminal record. There are no mugshots of defendants made available to the public or media for federal arrests.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama and Special Agent in Charge Paul W. Brown of the FBI Mobile Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
