CITRONELLE, Ala. (WKRG) — A former Citronelle police chief pleaded guilty to a federal crime Thursday, according to court documents. John Tyler Norris pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law in Federal Court.

On June 30, 2021, around 5:15 p.m., a Citronelle Police Department officer attempted to pull over an individual for a traffic violation. That individual refused to stop and continued to drive “at high speeds.”

Court documents state the individual then stopped his car in an empty parking lot, rolled down the driver’s side window, and placed his head and hands outside of the window. He remained cooperative with police and told them he was not armed.

At that time, officers used their vehicles to block the exits to the parking lot. Norris used his vehicle to hit the driver’s side door of the individual’s car, which prevented other officers from removing the individual from the driver’s side.

Two CPD officers got into the car through the passenger side and backseat and were able to place the individual in handcuffs. While the individual was handcuffed, Norris kneed them in the abdomen twice. Norris and another officer pulled the individual out of their car and put them into a police vehicle.

Norris is set to be sentenced on Sept. 9, 2023.