The Investigators: Former Memphis police officer criminally charged for pepper spray incident
Former MPD officer indicted in pepper spray incident By Jessica Jaglois | May 12, 2021 at 10:44 PM CDT - Updated May 12 at 11:12 PM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A former Memphis police officer is now facing a felony after he repeatedly pepper sprayed a handcuffed man while on duty in 2019.
36-year-old William Skelton was indicted by a grand jury on an official oppression charge more than a year after the alleged crime took place.
The body camera footage shows Skelton pulling into a South Memphis gas station January 10, 2019. He was responding to a vandalism call.
William Skelton is charged with official oppression on top of an excessive force charge. Author: Local 24 Staff (Local 24) Published: 1:37 PM CDT May 13, 2021 Updated: 5:12 PM CDT May 13, 2021
MEMPHIS, Tenn. Prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a former Memphis Police officer who pepper sprayed a mentally disabled man several times while he was handcuffed.
William Skelton is charged with official oppression on top of his excessive force charge.
Body cam video of the January 2019 arrest at a Whitehaven gas station where Skelton pepper sprayed Drew Thomas four times.
The former officer is pleading not guilty.
Skelton is the second law enforcement officer to be charged by the conduct review team that was formed last summer to help charge officers in excessive force cases.