SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) _ A former South Bend police officer accused of punching a handcuffed man in the face has pleaded guilty to violating the man’s civil rights.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Christopher Nuechterlein on Monday accepted the plea agreement after rejecting it in December after 41-year-old Theodore Robert repeatedly avoided answering questions about his actions on May, 30, 2010.

Robert admitted Monday that while he was a South Bend police officer he forcefully pushed the handcuffed man into a wall and pressed his arm against the victim’s head and throat before punching him.

The attack was captured by jail surveillance cameras. Robert initially was suspended 30 days by the department and later dismissed for an unrelated charge.

Robert faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 19.