Deputy attacks handcuffed man, giving him a concussion and broken cheekbone, feds say

A deputy is accused of punching and kicking a handcuffed man during a traffic stop in Alabama, leaving him with a concussion and a broken cheekbone.

Now, he’s pleaded guilty to accusations that he violated the victim’s civil rights, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Alabama said in a March 7 news release.

He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Blake Hicks, 33, is a former deputy with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. His attorney, Richard Keith, told McClatchy News his client was a “commended Deputy Sheriff for saving a life and also getting shot in the line of duty” while with the sheriff’s office, in addition to serving in Afghanistan until he was wounded.

His guilty plea came exactly two years after the incident.

On March 5, 2022, Alabama law enforcement pulled over a 26-year-old man during a traffic stop and handcuffed him, federal officials said in a plea agreement.

An altercation occurred, and the man is accused of trying to escape. An officer used a stun gun on him, causing him to fall to the ground, officials said.

Then, without justification, Hicks began punching and kicking the arrestee while he lay “incapacitated” on the ground in handcuffs, prosecutors said.

He’s accused of giving the man a concussion, a broken cheekbone and lacerations.

“By physically assaulting a defenseless member of the community, Hicks violated both the victim’s fundamental constitutional rights and the community’s trust,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in the release.

Prosecutors said Hicks violated the man’s constitutional rights to be free from use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement agent. He was indicted in October 2023.

Per the plea agreement, Hicks agrees not to seek employment as a law enforcement officer in the future. He’s expected to be sentenced June 24.

McClatchy News reached out to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office on March 7 but did not immediately receive a response.

Elmore County is part of the Montgomery metropolitan area.