The Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal indictment alleges a Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper accused of beating a man in his custody allegedly destroyed or concealed a videotape of the incident.
The tape was allegedly made from the camera mounted in Trooper John Kevin Smith’s police cruiser, a federal indictment states. It said the camera recorded the alleged August 2003 assault of a man in Lincoln County.
Smith, 33, told at least three people a videotape of the alleged incident didn’t exist, according to the indictment. He also said the alleged assault wasn’t recorded because he ran out of videotapes for his camera.
Smith and trooper James Sizemore, 28, also are accused of carrying out a similar assault against another man in May 2003 in Lawrence County.
Both troopers were indicted last week on federal civil rights violations.
Paige Fitzgerald, the attorney from the U.S. Department of Justice prosecuting the case, would not comment. The alleged victims have not been named.
Col. Marvin E. Curtis Jr., state highway patrol chief, said Smith and Sizemore would be on administrative leave until the cases are resolved.
“These allegations are serious and clearly we do not take them lightly,” Curtis said. “However, these officers are afforded due process through the court system.”
Patrol officials haven’t said whether Smith and Sizemore had been under internal investigation because of the allegations.