FALL RIVER — The Fall River Police Department has hired an independent firm to investigate the December 2020 assault of a man in custody with a baton and lying on a police report, which led to the federal conviction of former patrolman Nicholas Hoar in February. 

Agents from the FBI's Boston office investigated Hoar after he assaulted then-55-year-old William Harvey on Dec. 21, 2020, after Harvey was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge. 

Hoar was indicted in November 2022 by a federal grand jury on one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of filing false reports. He was convicted on all three charges and will be sentenced in U.S. District Court on April 24.

Read more from Jo C. Goode at heraldnews.com.