SAN FRANCISCO – 15 September – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – A former special agent with the Federal Protective Service (FPS) has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for his involvement in a cover-up that followed the unlawful pursuit, shooting at, and imprisonment of a San Francisco motorist.
Charles Jackson, 51, who now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, w as sent enced
Tuesday afternoon by United States District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel.
In May, a federal jury convicted Jackson of one felony count of w riting a
false report in an ef fort to cover up the misconduct of an FPS officer.
Jackson and two FPS patrol of ficers w ere prosecut ed by the United States
Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division
after the United States Attorney in San Francisco recused himself and his office.
The FPS officers, Peter Taoy and John Haire, pleaded guilty to federal
charges for violating the civil rights of a motorist, Jeff rey Petri, by f alsely accusing
Petri of trying t o run over Taoy w ith a vehicle and making up a story that the
incident began w ithin federal jurisdiction. Taoy and Haire lied to justify Taoy
shooting at Petri’s vehicle follow ing their improper high-speed pursuit of him
through San Francisco. The false allegations led to charges being filed against Mr.
Petri and his wrongf ully detention for six days in February 2003. Haire pleaded
guilty to a misdemeanor count and was sentenced to probation.
Taoy pleaded guilty
to a felony count and last month w as sentenced to 18 months in prison.
In the days follow ing the incident, Haire confessed to Jackson that the
pursuit had begun outside of federal jurisdiction and should not have occurred.
Jackson covered up Haire’s confession in a report in an attempt prevent Haire from
being prosecuted or disciplined. Jackson later failed to disclose Haire’s confession
to a shooting review board.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the
Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security.
The court allow ed Jackson to remain free on bail until he surrenders to prison
on October 25.
