CLEVELAND — A former East Cleveland police officer was sentenced to six months in prison for using a Taser on a handcuffed man and attempting to falsify police reports about the October 2021 incident.
"Unfortunately, all our actions have consequences, and we have to live with those consequences, and we all must be held accountable," Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Cassandra Collier-Williams told Brian Parks at Wednesday's sentencing.
Prosecutors said the incident began when Parks tried stopping a driver for speeding and having tinted windows. Investigators said the driver did not pull over and that Parks pursued the car until it crashed.
That's when investigators said Parks hit the driver with his patrol car, twice used a Taser on the man after he was handcuffed, slammed him into the back of a police car, and closed the door on the man’s leg.
“What we have here is a grave abuse of power,” said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Gregory Mussman.
In October, Parks pleaded guilty to assault and attempted tampering with records.
Parks looked straight ahead as prosecutors played body camera video of the assault in court Wednesday.
The victim of the assault, Mario Garcia, told the judge he was appalled by what he saw on the recording.
“I forgive you, I’m telling you I forgive you,” Garcia told Parks. “But I’m not going to forget this.”
Garcia asked Collier-Williams to send Parks to prison.
“I’m just looking at this, and I’m like, I did my time,” said Garcia. “He should be held to a higher standard.”
Parks told the judge he took responsibility for what he did.
“It was dark, it was cold, and he fled from police,” said Parks. “We’re in a corner alley. I couldn’t see anything.”
His attorney said Parks struggled after shooting and killing a man while on duty in 2019.
“It’s the things that he witnessed and he went through in his capacity as a police officer that caused the post-traumatic stress disorder and the other mental health issues he has that led to this offense,” said defense attorney Allison Hibbard.
As part of the plea deal, Parks agreed to surrender his police officer license.
After learning his sentence, Parks broke down in tears, asking the judge for mercy.
“Your honor, I beg you, I’ve never been in trouble,” said Parks. “I’m not going to harm anybody.”
Collier-Williams agreed to allow Parks to report to prison on Feb. 1. The judge ordered Parks to remain under electronic monitoring until then.
