Millvale Police Officer Charged With Unlawfully Using A Taser On A Handcuffed Person

PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of deprivation of rights under color of law, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The one-count indictment, returned on June 3, named Nicole Murphy, 30, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, on Sept. 21, 2012, Nicole Murphy, while acting under color of law as a police officer with the Millvale Police Department, deprived an individual identified as T.S. of the constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizure, by deploying a Taser in both drive and probe-stun modes on T.S.’s person while he was handcuffed.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.