Former Fulton County Detention Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Using Excessive Force

ATLANTA - Former Fulton County Detention Officer Monique Clark has been sentenced for using excessive force against a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Jail.

"Instead of carrying out his mission to ensure the safety and security of detainees in his custody at the Fulton County Jail, Clark abandoned his oath of office when he used excessive force to strangle a pre-trial detainee without cause," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. "Law enforcement officers who violate their professional duties are not above the law. It is now Clark who will serve time in prison as a result of his reprehensible conduct."

"This defendant's violent assault on a handcuffed arrestee rendered her unconscious and is simply inexcusable," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "As we have seen too many times, chokeholds and neck restraints can prove deadly. Using high-level force against a person in custody who poses no threat is plainly illegal, but using such a dangerous technique gratuitously is especially disturbing. The Department of Justice is committed to holding law enforcement officers accountable for use of excessive force and to protecting the rights of people in custody."

"By violating his sworn oath as a detention officer to protect people, Clark betrayed every honest, hardworking officer, and crossed the line to criminal behavior," said Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. "Let this sentence be a reminder that the abuse of inmates by prison staff will not be tolerated by the FBI and will always be pursued for prosecution."

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, information presented in court and other public information: At the time of the crime, Monique Clark was employed as a detention officer at the Fulton County Jail. On June 5, 2023, while Clark was working at the North Jail Annex in Alpharetta, Georgia, he strangled a pretrial detainee without any legal justification. The detainee lost consciousness and suffered bodily injury as a result of the assault.

Monique Clark, 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to using excessive force on March 26, 2024.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Alec C. Ward prosecuted the case.