Former Montgomery police officer convicted of several federal charges

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – A former Montgomery police officer has been convicted of using his position to violate a woman’s constitutional right to bodily integrity while responding to a shoplifting call.

U.S. Attorney Thomas Govan announced that a federal jury has found 32-year-old Markelle Jaquan Cox guilty on four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and three counts of obstruction of justice.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on October 20, 2023, Cox, then a Montgomery Police Department officer, responded to a shoplifting report at a department store on Eastern Boulevard. During the investigation, he handcuffed the victim and escorted her to his patrol vehicle. While she was restrained, Cox engaged in unlawful and abusive sexual contact, including touching intimate areas of her body, with some of the touching occurring under her clothing. Cox later removed the handcuffs and forced the victim to touch him, Govan said.

Because the victim did not speak English, records say Cox used a translation app to solicit sex. He then directed her to unlock her phone so he could add his phone number before letting her leave the scene. The victim then contacted 911 and went to police headquarters to file a complaint.

Govan said the Montgomery Police Department immediately opened an investigation and interviewed Cox, who denied the allegations. Body‑camera footage, however, corroborated the victim’s account. Even after being told of the evidence, Cox continued to deny wrongdoing. A search of both phones confirmed the added phone number and use of the translation app, records showed.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. Cox faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

— Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Alabama