Published: October 28, 2009 04:51 pm      

Former Montgomery officer sentenced

A former Montgomery police officer who pleaded guilty in July to a civil rights violation was sentenced to two years in prison Thursday in federal court in Charleston.

Matthew A. Leavitt, 31, of South Charleston, admitted to hitting an African American man with a slap jack on Sept. 26, 2008, while on duty for the Montgomery Police Department.

Leavitt also admitted to arresting the victim’s wife, without probable cause, on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.

According to court documents, Leavitt also acknowledged he “abused his authority as a law enforcement officer and agreed that his conduct violated the federal law and constitutional rights of the victims.”

During sentencing, according to court spokesman Tracy Dorsey Chapman, U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin said more than 20 complaints had been filed against Leavitt, alleging illegal searches and arrests.

Those complaints, according to Chapman, were made by African American males or white females who were dating African American males.

Additionally, the judge said, Leavitt maintained a data base containing photographs of young African American males on a police department computer.

Goodwin said Leavitt “terrorized” the victim’s family, “disgraced his uniform” and “harmed the community” by diminishing the community’s trust in the police.

“Police officers are sworn to serve and protect the public,” U.S. Attorney Charles T. Miller said. “This sentence should serve as a reminder and a message to those rogue officers who abuse their power and violate the public trust. The United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are committed to protecting the civil rights of the citizens of our district.”

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