Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Former Officer James Tallent Sentenced of Using Excessive Force

A former South Carolina officer is serving a 90-day jail sentence after a jury found he used excessive force in arresting three men.

The Herald-Journal of Spartanburg reports Tuesday that former Gaffney policeman James Tallent was convicted Friday of misconduct in office. The 43-year-old was sentenced to 90 days in the Cherokee County jail, six months of home detention and two years of probation.

Eddie Gilfillan, Leonard Tinnin and David Cobb complained of excessive force after their arrests Dec. 16, 2007, in a sports bar. Their charges were dropped before Tallent's trial.

Prosecutors said Tallent sprayed one man in the face with pepper spray and struck another repeatedly with a police baton.

Tallent's attorney argued he used police procedure in the arrests.

Information from: Herald-Journal, http://www.goupstate.com/

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