Deputy indicted in flashlight beating

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A former deputy sheriff whose dash camera showed him repeatedly hitting a suspect with his flashlight has been indicted on a federal civil-rights charge.

The one-count indictment announced Friday accuses former San Juan County Deputy R. Dale Frazier with using excessive force in assaulting Donovan Tanner, 22, with a dangerous weapon.

The Native American suspect, struck in the head, neck and body, was injured in the March 17, 2011 incident.

Frazier, 56, was fired shortly after the beating , and San Juan County later agreed to pay Tanner $250,000 to settle a civil-rights complaint.

Reports at the time indicated Tanner had come out of a bar on the night of St. Patrick's Day and was confronted by Frazier who slammed him to the hood of his patrol car and hit Tanner at least five times with a heavy flashlight.  The dash camera in the patrol car recorded the incident.

Charges against Tanner were later dropped.

Under the law suspects have the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by police officers, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI in Albuquerque.

If convicted Frazier faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Frazier has yet to appear in court to enter a plea to the charge.