JASPER, Tenn. — A district attorney has ruled that a Jasper Police officer acted in accordance with proper procedures when he used force during an arrest on August 5th.
The ruling came after a video of the incident went viral. In the video, Officer Justin Graham can be seen speaking to Samuel Hrynecwicz, who admitted to being drunk and was a passenger in the vehicle.
Officer Graham noticed what appeared to be a long rifle in the back seat, which later turned out to be an air rifle. Chief Mason explained that Officer Graham’s priority was to get everyone out of the vehicle and away from the potential threat.
Officer Graham used pepper spray and then attempted to use a brachial stun, but due to a prior injury, he accidentally hit Hrynecwicz in the face.
After reviewing the body camera footage, the 12th Judicial District Attorney General ruled that the force used was justified.
You’ve seen the video, my officer gave him the utmost respect and he just didn’t get it in return,’ Chief Mason told us on Thursday
However, we found on Friday that Officer Graham had received complaints in the past.
According to attorney Robin Flores, Graham lied in a 2021 case in which two other officers were charged with assault.
Mr. Graham falsely said testified that he was present when the interaction between the initial officers and [the complainant] occurred,’ Flores told us Friday.
Graham was a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at the time.
We contacted Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnette regarding this aspect of the report.
He told us he was ignorant of Graham’s accusation and that he resigned from the sheriff’s office earlier this year.
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