'This was not policing.' IMPD sergeant who stomped on man’s face gets federal prison time

An Indianapolis police officer has been sentenced to about a year in federal prison for stomping on a handcuffed man’s face.

Sgt. Eric Huxley was sentenced by a federal judge Friday to one year and one day in prison. Earlier this year, Huxley pled guilty to violating an arrestee’s civil rights by using excessive force. In addition to time in prison, Huxley was also sentenced to six months of home detention and 18 months of supervised release.

In a statement, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Huxley is still suspended without pay. IMPD Chief Randal Taylor asked the Civilian Police Merit Board to terminate Huxley’s employment.

Body-worn camera footage shows Huxley kick a man, identified as Jermaine Vaughn, in the face while he is being placed under arrest and in handcuffs. Huxley can be heard repeatedly saying, “You’re done” to Vaughn after stomping on his face.  According to court documents, the incident took place on Sept. 24, 2021 on Monument Circle, when officers responded to complaints of Vaughn acting disorderly.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary Myers said he was “absolutely horrified” when he first saw the body-worn camera footage of the incident.

“This was not policing,” Myers said at a press conference Friday. “It was wrong. It was a violation of the constitutional rights that are the bedrock of our system of justice.”

Huxley still faces state charges of battery and official misconduct in Marion County. A hearing in that case is scheduled for next month.

“This sentence holds a former police officer accountable for abusing his authority when he violently assaulted a homeless man who posed no threat,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a news release. “The Justice Department is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting law enforcement officials who violate federal civil rights laws.”

This February, Vaughn filed a civil lawsuit against Huxley, the City of Indianapolis, IMPD and other officers involved in his arrest.

Two other officers who were present during the incident also sued IMPD, alleging they were retaliated against after reporting their sergeant. 

Contact WFYI criminal justice reporter Katrina Pross at kpross@wfyi.org. Pross is a Corps Member of Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project.