The Justice Department announced Tuesday that a federal grand jury in Montgomery returned an indictment Monday charging former Crenshaw County Jail Administrator Christian Alexander Porter, 33, with assaulting a handcuffed and compliant inmate at Crenshaw County Jail. Porter was also charged with falsifying a report and making false statements to state and federal investigators.

Crenshaw County Sheriff Terry Mears’ office issued a statement on social media following the announcement.

“We would like to address recent developments regarding the indictment of the former Jail Administrator of the Crenshaw County Detention Facility. This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and we want to assure our community that the Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Office, under the leadership of Sheriff Terry Mears, has fully cooperated throughout the process.

“The integrity of our detention facility and the trust of our community remain our top priorities. Sheriff Mears and the dedicated detention facility staff have worked diligently to ensure transparency and accountability during this investigation.”

The indictment alleges that, on or about Oct. 12, 2021, Porter used unreasonable force on a pre-trial detainee while acting under color of law in violation of the 14th Amendment and falsified a use of force report to cover up his assault of the victim. The indictment also charges Porter with making false statements to state and federal investigators on Nov. 18, 2021, and June 28, 2022, respectively.

Porter faces maximum penalties of 10 years in prison for the federal civil rights violation, 20 years in prison for falsifying the report and making false statements to state investigators and five years in prison for making false statements to federal investigators. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kathleen Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson for the Middle District of Alabama and Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Mobile Field Office made the announcement. 

The FBI Mobile Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Lia Rettammel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

“As we move forward, we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and service,” the Sheriff’s office statement continued. “The actions of one individual do not define the hard work and dedication of the men and women who serve Crenshaw County every day.”

“We thank our community for your continued support and understanding during this time. As this matter proceeds through the legal process, we encourage everyone to respect the judicial system and refrain from speculation.”

Editor’s Note: An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.