GARY, Ind. — A former officer with the Gary Police Department was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to applying unreasonable force to a man during an arrest four years ago.

The United States Department of Justice announced Wednesday that Terry Peck, 48, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison after he admitted to using excessive force on a man while performing an arrest for an alleged traffic violation.

As part of the plea agreement, the DOJ said Peck reportedly admitted to federal investigators that he used “unreasonable force” while arresting a man on March 19, 2019. The force of impact was so great that the man suffered a broken tooth and other bodily injuries, the DOJ said. The man was handcuffed during the incident and “was not posing a threat to Peck or anyone around him,” according to the DOJ.

“All people in our country have a right to be free from excessive force by police officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The sentencing of this defendant makes clear that officers cannot violate people’s civil rights with impunity. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute any law enforcement officer who willfully violates the civil rights of the people they are sworn to serve and protect.”

The FBI Indianapolis Field Office led the investigation into the case.