A former Alabama police chief pleaded guilty Thursday to a lesser charge in the federal case against him stemming from the kneeing of a suspect.

John Tyler Norris, the former chief of police for the city of Citronelle, pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law, and in doing so admitted that he kneed the suspect twice while the suspect was handcuffed and cooperating.

Norris was initially facing up to 10 years in federal prison, but under the plea agreement he reached with prosecutors he only faces up to a year in a federal lockup, according to a copy of the deal filed with the court.

Prosecutors tried Norris twice but both trials ended in hung juries. Norris indicated Wednesday he would plead guilty to a lesser charge, avoiding a third trial.

According to the statement of fact filed along with the plea deal, Norris admitting to kneeing the suspect, only identified as I.M., in the abdomen on June 30, 2021 “without justification while he was handcuffed and cooperative.”

The former chief also intentionally damaged the suspect’s vehicle, according to the statement of fact.

A Citronelle officer tried to conduct a traffic stop when the suspect ignored police lights and sirens and drove at high speeds.

The suspect stopped his vehicle in an empty parking lot, where he rolled down his window and placed his head and hands outside the window.

“He remained compliant and told the officers that he was unarmed,” the statement of fact stated.

As officers positioned their patrol vehicles to block the exit to the parking lot, Norris drove his vehicle “and struck the driver’s side door of I.M.’s car, damaging it and preventing the officers from removing I.M. from the driver’s side of his vehicle.”