Former Tennessee Law Enforcement Officer Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Offenses

Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Saturday, January 29, 2022

Former Tennessee Law Enforcement Officer Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Offenses

Former law enforcement officer Anthony “Tony” Bean was found guilty by a federal court today of violating two arrestees’ civil rights by using excessive force against them. Tony Bean, 61, was convicted following a trial in Chattanooga for using excessive force against two arrestees while he was a law enforcement officer.

Bean was convicted of using excessive force against arrestee C.G. on two occasions during C.G.’s arrest in 2014, while Bean was the Chief of the Tracy City Police Department in Tracy City, Tennessee, and of using excessive force against arrestee F.M. during F.M.’s arrest in 2017, while Bean was the Chief Deputy of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office in Grundy County, Tennessee. Bean’s co-defendant, T.J. Bean, faced a single charge at trial and was acquitted of using excessive force against arrestee F.M. during the same arrest in 2017.  

In June 2021, the court heard evidence over the course of three days that showed that, during C.G.’s arrest in the Tracy Lakes area of Grundy County in 2014, Tony Bean repeatedly punched C.G. in the face while C.G. was handcuffed and compliant, causing C.G. pain and other injuries.  The court also heard evidence that, during F.M.’s arrest in Grundy County in 2017, Tony Bean punched F.M. in the face while F.M. was compliant, causing pain and other injuries. In addition, the court heard evidence that Tony Bean bragged about using excessive force against his victims and failed to report his uses of force.

“Every person in our nation has the right to be free from unlawful abuse by police officers, including the use of excessive force during an arrest,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This verdict makes clear that law enforcement officials who use unlawful force are not above the law. We will not stand idly by in the face of criminal misconduct by law enforcement officials in any part of the country.”

“Tony Bean held a position of public trust, and he willfully violated that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “This violation diminishes the tremendous work performed by law enforcement every day. Our office is committed to ensuring the protection of every person’s civil rights.”

“Civil Rights violations are always of great concern, particularly when an officer betrays the oath to protect and serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Knoxville Division. “The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve. When that trust is violated, the law enforcement community is tarnished, and the community’s confidence is broken.”

Tony Bean’s sentencing has been set for June. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment on each of the three counts of conviction. 

This case was investigated by the Knoxville Division of the FBI and was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kathryn E. Gilbert and Andrew Manns of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Brooks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Topic(s): 
Civil Rights
Component(s): 
Civil Rights Division
Civil Rights - Criminal Section
Press Release Number: 
22-80
Updated January 29, 2022