A Warrenton police officer was charged on Wednesday for using his Taser on multiple people without justification.
According to federal court documents, a grand jury indicted Mark Oakley on three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law related to three incidents involving his use of a Taser on multiple people without justification.
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Gagan Gupta, a lawyer representing some of the victims involved, said the charges are justified.
"It affirms what my clients have known all along, that officer Oakley's conduct was in fact unconstitutional," Gupta said.
The Warrenton Police Department released body camera footage of a traffic stop involving Oakley after North Carolina Superior Court ordered the release of a video involving a traffic stop of Xavier Hicks in 2023.
Hicks is not named as a victim in the federal indictment against Oakley.
In another video obtained by WRAL News, a woman was heard repeatedly telling Oakley to stop, asking what was wrong with him as he stunned her.
The video of Hicks' traffic stop came after multiple people filed petitions asking for the body camera footage. Six of them wanted their videos released privately.
Mike Waters, a district attorney representing Warren County, said the investigation eventually became part of a larger probe by state and federal investigators.
"What led to charges being filed were people coming forward and a lot of investigative work by dedicated law enforcement both by SBI and FBI," he said.
According to the indictment, Oakley used his Taser to stun one of the victims repeatedly while the person was handcuffed.
Oakley made an appearance in court on Wednesday and was released.
WRAL News reached out to Oakley by phone and he declined comment.
Oakley left the Warrenton Police Department and was hired by the Littleton Police Department in Halifax County.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Littleton police told WRAL News that Oakley remains employed while they gather more information.