A former police officer convicted in 2001 of a felony and civil rights charges for setting her K-9 dog on a man suspected of theft was one of the 28 people pardoned by President Trump on Wednesday, according to a report in The Washington Post.
Paul Manafort and Roger Stone were among the big names pardoned by Trump, but he also gave the nod to Stephanie C. Mohr, a former Prince George’s County canine police officer.
She was convicted after prosecutors said she she had set her dog on one of two men suspected of theft in Takoma Park, Md.
The White House released a statement about Mohr’s pardon, saying her clemency is backed by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund and the Fraternal Order of Police.
“She served 10 years in prison for releasing her K-9 partner on a burglary suspect in 1995, resulting in a bite wound requiring ten stitches,” the statement said. “Officer Mohr was a highly commended member of the police force prior to her prosecution.”
The statement added that it recognized her service before the incident in 1995 and acknowledged “the lengthy term” Mohr served in prison.
She was convicted during a time when the Department of Justice was investigation civil rights violations by the Prince George’s County Police Department and amid several lawsuits alleging excessive force by the force’s K-9 units.
Mohr’s first trial in 2001 ended with a deadlocked jury, followed by her conviction.