FORMER FULTON COUNTY JAIL OFFICER SENT TO FEDERAL PRISON AFTER STRANGLING HANDCUFFED DETAINEE 2/2

Former Fulton County detention officer Monique Clark went from guarding inmates to becoming a federal inmate after a civil rights case involving a handcuffed detainee inside the Fulton County North Annex Jail in Alpharetta, Georgia.
 

According to the federal indictment, on June 5, 2023, Clark was acting under color of law when he used his hands to strangle a pretrial detainee who was already handcuffed. 

Prosecutors said the force had no legal justification and caused bodily injury, resulting in a federal charge under 18 U.S.C. § 242.
 

The government later described what happened in even stronger terms, stating that Clark strangled the restrained, non-threatening detainee into unconsciousness. 

Clark did not fight the charge at trial. Prosecutors said he voluntarily met with the government shortly after his indictment, admitted his guilt and later pleaded guilty.

The federal sentencing guidelines called for 41 to 51 months in prison. Prosecutors and Clark’s defense jointly recommended 33 months based partly on his quick acceptance of responsibility, while the judge considered going as high as 60 months. 

Clark is now in federal custody under BOP Register Number 80244-510 and is listed at Tallahassee FCI, with a projected release date of May 8, 2027, according to the federal prison information provided for this case. The BOP listing identifies Clark as 35 years old.
 

Clark’s law enforcement career ended almost immediately after the incident. Georgia POST records show the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office terminated Clark on June 7, 2023, just two days after the assault. The same record lists Clark’s jailer certification as suspended under a POST sanction and the overall status as “POST Review Required.”
 

A detainee being accused of a crime does not make them fair game for abuse. This victim was handcuffed, restrained and in the custody of people who had a legal obligation to protect them. Instead, a detention officer strangled the detainee unconscious. Now that former officer is serving time on the other side of the bars.