LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A former Kentucky State Police trooper has pleaded guilty to lying under oath about hitting a man with a flashlight while arresting him in 2020, but will avoid incarceration.

Thomas Czartorski, who was charged with perjury, was sentenced last month to three years diversion, meaning he will not serve any time in prison as long as he stays out of trouble.

In addition, if Czartorski completes his diversion, he will be able to have the case expunged, or erased from his record.

As part of the June 14 plea agreement in Jefferson Circuit Court, Czartorski was removed from the military after a 17-year career. He is also prohibited from seeking another job in law enforcement.

Attorney Josh Schneider, who represented Czartorski, declined to comment on Saturday.

Czartorski went to a Shepherdsville home in April 2020 with other officers to arrest Alex Hornback, who was wanted by the Louisville Metro Police Department's Domestic Violence Unit for a harassment case.

Czartorski was charged in July 2021 after video surfaced that contradicted statements he made when asked about his actions during the arrest of Hornback.

While Hornback’s father tried to record the actions of the officer on his phone, he was threatened and deleted his footage, according to a civil suit filed against Hornback and KSP.

But a recording from the family's security system shows Czartorski hitting Hornback several times with a flashlight during the arrest.

Czartorski answered questions under oath about the case during a deposition in the federal lawsuit on Jan. 18, 2021.

When asked if he used any force on Hornback, and specifically whether he ever struck him with an object, Czartorski testified he did not.

The family's hidden security camera captured the incident, but Czartorski did not know that footage existed when he gave his sworn statement. Weeks after the deposition, Hornback's attorney released the video on social media.

At the time, KSP did not have body cameras and there were multiple instances of troopers found to have given official versions of incidents that were later proven untrue because of witness footage, a 2021 WDRB News investigation found. 

The agency purchased a new camera system that will produce body-worn and in-car videos earlier this year. 

KSP settled the federal lawsuit involving Czartorski and another trooper in January for $130,000. Czartorski agreed to pay an additional $5,000.

He resigned under threat of termination.

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