A federal grand jury has indicted a former Alabama police chief on charges of using excessive force against a man in his custody and trying to mislead state investigators about the assault.

The indictment accuses former Citronelle Police Chief John Tyler Norris of repeatedly kneeing the man in the abdomen — injuring him — on June 30, 2021, and then giving a misleading statement to state investigators.

Norris faces charges of witness tampering and deprivation of rights under color of law. If convicted, Norris could be sentenced up to ten years in prison for the alleged use of force and 20 years in prison for making a misleading statement.

It was not immediately known if Norris has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.