Officials say a former East Texas deputy pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation for punching a restrained detainee in the chest repeatedly with a shock gun.
Former Van Zandt County sheriff's deputy David Yager pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge arising from a February 2021 assault on a detainee. The man was in a restraint chair with one arm free when he banged his food tray against a cell door, then knocked a shock gun from Yager's hand. Angered, Yager assaulted the detainee until another deputy persuaded him to stop.
He faces up to 3 1/2 years in prison, according to the Associated Press.
Yager, 29, is the second former Van Zandt County deputy to plead guilty this month to using excessive force.
