Former Clanton officer faces assault charges
By Jason Green

CLANTON - DeWayne Wright, a former Clanton Police officer and Chilton County Sheriff's Deputy, will enter a plea today in a precursor to excessive force trial.

He was indicted recently by a Clanton grand jury for his alleged use of excessive force against Thomas Johnson of Clanton during Memorial Day Weekend 2002.

According to Liz Huntley, Johnson's attorney, Wright and a Clanton Police Department Explorer were called to the Skylight Bar in Clanton during Memorial Day weekend of last year on a disturbance call.

When the pair arrived, they took Johnson into custody. Huntley said witnesses to the event have told her the officer, as well as the explorer, used unnecessary force in detaining Johnson, whom Huntley said did not resist arrest. Huntley said witnesses to the incident have told her that Johnson did not do anything to warrant his arrest.

The grand jury recently determined there was enough evidence in the case to send it to trial. That trial process begins with today's plea.

Huntley said she can't be certain, but she expects Wright to file a not-guilty plea.

Bill Speaks, Wright's attorney, refused comment, stating that doing so in a pending criminal case was unethical.

Also, Huntley said she plans to file a federal suit as early as next week against the Chilton County Sheriff's Department, unspecified officers there, the Chilton County Commission and Sheriff Billy Wayne Fulmer. The charges in that case do not involve Wright, however. The federal case will involve a charge of excessive force being used by employees at the Chilton County Jail.

Huntley said it wasn't injuries Johnson suffered during his arrest that landed him in Chilton Medical Center on the night in question. Huntley maintains it was injuries Johnson suffered during a supposed beating at the jail that left him with internal bleeding, stitches to his forehead, a concussion and several bruises.

"I believe that there is a history of excessive force being used at the Chilton County Jail on a regular basis against inmates," Huntley said. "It's not an easy thing to do in my own backyard, but this is the right thing to do." Johnson, Huntley's client, also happens to be her brother-in-law.

Huntley also indicated it won't be Johnson's word against that of jail employees. She said she has a number of other witnesses and alleged victims who have come forward and agreed to provide testimony.

Fulmer declined to give information in the case. However, he felt confident that there had been no wrong-doing in his department.

"I don't need to make a comment at this time, but I will say that I am very confident that when this case goes through the legal process, the facts will come to the surface and the truth will be told."

District Attorney Randal Houston said Thursday he was confident that an investigation performed by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) into both the activity at the bar as well as at the jail has brought to light problem areas and that those areas have been addressed.

"The grand jury reviewed the entire situation, watched video taken at the scene as well as at the jail from beginning to end and I think it took appropriate action," he said. "Evidence provided to the grand jury did not lead them to indict any jailers and the Chilton County Jail and I believe the ABI investigation has cleared them of any wrongdoing. Based on the evidence in my review of the situation, the sheriff and those working at the jail that night did nothing wrong."

Jock Smith, an partner in nationally-renowned attorney Johnny Cochran's law firm and working in Tuskegee is assisting Huntley in the case.

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