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PINELLAS COUNTY---A federal grand jury sitting in the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division, has returned an indictment alleging that Pinellas Sheriff's Deputy Richard Farnham used excessive force during a September 2004 incident where he deployed an electronic control device, a taser, on one of two armed male subjects who had fired gunshots upon Farnham and a Santa Rosa County deputy sheriff.
He is also accused of illegally kicking a suspect.
The deputy has been charged under a federal civil rights law that is rarely invoked.
The incident occurred in the vicinity of 1668 Tide Water Lane, Navarre Beach, Fla., during Hurricane Ivan.
Farnham, 34, an officer with the Pinellas County Sheriff's office since May, 2000, will turn himself in to authorities in Pensacola next week. He has been placed on administrative leave.
He was part of an emergency response team from the sheriff's office deployed to Santa Rosa County following Hurricane Ivan.
According to the indictment, Farnham injured one of the men who had fired on them by illegally kicking him and then using his department-issued Taser gun in an unreasonable manner.
If convicted, Farnham could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and fined $250,000. 11-16-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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