Security camera footage shows an Ohio sheriff's deputy kicking a handcuffed inmate's head. At the same time, he is restrained on the ground by another officer after the criminal allegedly bit the officer's left boot.
Kicking a man down
The deputy, according to USA Today, is facing one charge of misdemeanor assault that could land him up to six months in prison and a penalty that could cost him up to $1,000.
The officer in question, Sgt. Jesse Franklin has been working with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for the past 14 years.
Cincinnati police officers transferred the inmate, Nick Ballachino, to the Hamilton jail on June 9 after he was arrested for charges of disorderly conduct while under the influence of alcohol and police obstruction.
During the transfer, Ballachino is seen becoming resistive with officers who were processing him upon his arrival, said Prosecutor Joe Deters of Hamilton County.
When Ballachino started becoming violent during the search, multiple officers restrained the suspect and pinned him to the ground face down while he was handcuffed who then, as Deters claims, bit Franklin's left boot.
The prosecutor said that the footage taken from the Justice Center revealed Franklin immediately kicked Ballachino's head once after the bite.
The kick left Ballachino with a cut above his left eye, which was not shown in the video and had to be stitched five times to stop the bleeding. Deters noted that injury was not enough to support a felony assault charge, and pointed out that both men involved were white.
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Officials did not immediately identify an attorney for Ballachino to represent him on the case with the police officer, as reported by AP News.
Deter said that many people do not possess the patience to become police officers and face their day-to-day experiences with criminals who sometimes allows becoming violent, adding that in all of his cases, he always pursues criminal violations that he sees in cases according to the law and what is right.
Stripped of powers
Sheriff Jim Neil of Hamilton County revealed on Thursday at a press conference that they have suspended Franklin without pay and stripped him of police powers for the horrific and inhumane act.
On Thursday, authorities also arrested Franklin and set him for the Hamilton County Justice Center, which is the same location where the incident with Ballachino occurred.
When Neil discovered the details of the incident, he immediately ordered a criminal investigation to look into the case to reveal all the circumstances that led to the kick.
According to US News, the sheriff expressed his resentment of the officer's aggressive act and noted that those actions do not represent what they have learned during their training and promised he would not tolerate similar incidents that occur.
Neil added that they must follow with a disciplinary process after deputies and the county agreed-upon collective bargaining.
When asked about the investigation, Neil declined to comment saying that he did not want to risk the inspection.
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