Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A former Alcorn State University police officer has pleaded guilty in federal court to violating civil rights of someone under arrest.

In a news release, U.S. Attorney Gregory Davis says 42-year-old Berthum Allen pleaded guilty Thursday before Senior U.S. District Judge David Bramlette III.

Davis says Allen admitted to elbowing a victim in the face and throwing him to the ground without legal justification while acting under his authority as a police officer.

He says Allen also admitted that he misrepresented the circumstances surrounding the incident in his official police report to minimize his exposure to allegations of misconduct.

Officials said the incident, which occurred at the Claiborne County Jail in Port Gibson, caused injuries to the victim's nose and face, and was recorded by the jail's surveillance cameras.