pull time for a beating

[drdeng]

Again, a phrase in John Grisham's The summons baffled me:

"Axel proved to be a fine lawyer, but there wasn't much he could do on the legal front... Axel supervised the paperwork, recommended a good shrink, and did a commendable job of getting Ray through the ordeal. According to Axel, the best private investigator in town was Corey Crawford, a black ex-cop who'd pulled time for a beating."

Could you please tell me what "pulled time for a beating" means?

[dzug]

Been jailed for beating up a suspect? Or possibly just been retired early for the same reason.

[andy-hughes]

The phrase 'pulled time' means to have been given a jail sentence as a result of a crime - in this case, an officer imprisoned for such an act would be dismissed, which is why Mr Crawford is an 'ex-cop'.