Deputy pepper-sprayed man in handcuffs and tried covering it up in WV, feds say
A sheriff’s deputy in West Virginia is accused of using excessive force and engaging in a cover-up, according to federal officials.
Lance Kuretza, 38, is charged with depriving a man of his civil rights and with falsification of records while working as a Monongalia County deputy sheriff, according to a news release from the Northern District of West Virginia’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Kuretza encountered the victim on Jan. 20, 2018, and punched and elbowed the man in the face before handcuffing him, according to an indictment.
After Kuretza handcuffed the man, he pepper sprayed him and struck him, resulting in bodily injury with the use of a dangerous weapon, court records said.
In the report following the incident, Kuretza falsely stated that he had pepper sprayed the victim before handcuffing him and did not document any post-handcuffing use of force, the attorney’s office said.
McClatchy News was unable to contact Kuretza’s attorney for comment.
Kuretza could face up to 10 years in prison for the civil rights violation and up to 20 years for falsifying a report if convicted of the charges, according to the news release.
Monongalia County is in northern West Virginia, along the border with Pennsylvania.
