Boston – A Plymouth police sergeant was charged today in federal court with using excessive force on an arrestee and covering up his actions by falsifying police reports.
Shawn Coughlin, 45, of Plymouth, was charged with deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law and falsifying a record to impede a federal investigation.
The Indictment alleges that on Nov. 19, 2011, while at the Plymouth Police station, Coughlin assaulted an arrestee (“A-1”) who was in a holding cell and handcuffed behind his back. Coughlin allegedly struck A-1 in the head and kneed him in the body, resulting in bodily injury to A-1 and depriving A-1 of his right to be free from the intentional use of unreasonable and excessive force by someone acting under color of law. It is also alleged that Coughlin falsely stated in official police incident reports that A-1 “continued to resist by attempting to kick at…
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