SACRAMENTO — A California correctional officer was sentenced to greater than 12 years in federal jail on Monday for inflicting the dying of an inmate in 2016 and pepper-spraying one other as a result of he thought it was “humorous.”
Arturo Pacheco, 40, was escorting a 65-year-old inmate whose palms have been cuffed behind him when he yanked the inmate’s legs from beneath him. The inmate landed face first on the concrete flooring, breaking his jaw and several other tooth. He was being handled in a hospital two days later when he died of a pulmonary embolism.
4 months earlier, Pacheco pepper-sprayed a “calm and compliant” 54-year-old prisoner at shut vary, leaving him quickly blind. He later known as the incident “humorous” in a textual content message, in line with a plea settlement Pacheco made in July.
Pacheco was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in jail. He pleaded responsible in July to 2 counts of deprivation of rights beneath coloration of legislation and two counts of falsifying data for his makes an attempt to cowl up the abuse.
He apologized at his sentencing and fought again tears, the Sacramento Bee reported.
“I’m extraordinarily remorseful, your honor,” Pacheco informed the choose.
U.S. Lawyer Phillip Talbert stated the sentence exhibits guards who hurt inmates “are usually not above the legislation.”
Pacheco was fired from California State Jail, Sacramento, in 2018. A second correctional officer who additionally was fired in 2018 beforehand pleaded responsible to submitting a false report about Pacheco’s actions.