An ex-police officer pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor for forcing a male suspect he had arrested to lick his urine from a jail cell floor. The ex-officer, 26-year-old Michael Christian Green, faced charges related to violating civil rights following the incident, which was captured on security footage in Pearl, a suburb of Jackson.
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During a court hearing, when questioned by Judge Andrew Harris regarding his plea, Green responded affirmatively to the charge of deprivation of civil rights. The Associated Press reports Green forced the victim, identified as B.E., to lick his urine in a jail cell following an arrest on December 23. The victim was arrested after police responded to a call about a disturbance at a local store. Court documents reveal that B.E. attempted to alert Green of his need to urinate while detained. After receiving no response and being unable to hold it any longer, B.E. urinated in the corner of the cell. Security footage captured Green’s threatening behavior towards B.E., forcing him to lick up the urine while Green recorded the act on his phone.
According to court documents, “You’re fixin’ to go in there, and you’re going to lick that p—— up,” Green said. The federal prosecutor highlighted that Green’s actions served no lawful purpose or government interest, emphasizing the abuse of power and violation of B.E.’s civil rights. Following the incident’s exposure over Christmas, the city initiated an independent investigation, leading to Green’s resignation on December 27.
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The city of Pearl and Mayor Windham have publicly denounced Green’s actions, stressing the importance of respecting individuals’ rights and dignity, irrespective of their detainment status. Green, awaiting sentencing on May 24, could face up to a year in prison and a $10,000 fine. His law enforcement certification in Mississippi has also been revoked.
“We have a no tolerance for things of this nature. So, we’re going to continue to have a no tolerance of this nature. And then, yeah, it’ll take the citizens to regain some trust. But there’s a lot of good police officers at the Pearl Police Department, men and women that do their job every day,”