Sheriff: Fired deputies pepper-sprayed restrained inmate

A frame from a video showing Benton County jailers restraining and pepper-spraying an inmate.
A frame from a video showing Benton County jailers restraining and pepper-spraying an inmate.

Three Benton County Jailers were fired last month after using pepper spray on an inmate strapped in a restraint chair, Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck said Monday.

Video captured at the Benton County Jail of an incident that <a href="http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2013/feb/11/sheriff-fired-deputies-pepper-sprayed-restrained-i/?latest">led to three jailers being fired.</a> The video shows an inmate in a restraint chair being pepper sprayed, which may be disturbing to some viewers. The mark on the inmate's cheek is visible in an earlier video of him being booked into the jail.

Benton County Jail incident

Video available Watch Video

“The bottom line is we don’t pepper spray people who are in full body restraints,” Cradduck said. “Our job is simply to use the necessary amount of force to safely gain control of the inmates.”

Video from jail surveillance cameras shows the inmate at the door when deputies rush in and take him to the ground. The inmate is then strapped in a restraint chair and deputies leave him alone in the cell. The inmate then works one of his legs out of the restraints and deputies soon return to the cell.

One deputy stomps at the inmate's legs while they are trying to put his leg back in restraints. One stomp misses and the other lands on the inmate's leg, according to the video.

While the two deputies are trying to place the leg back in restraints, one of them deputies sprays the inmate in the face with the pepper spray.

Cradduck said it will never be justified to spray an inmate in restraints with pepper spray.

Cradduck said the inmate was knocking on the cell’s window and not making any threats to jailers. He may have been getting on their nerves, but the situation did not require force, Cradduck said.

Cradduck said he hated to fire the jailers and believes they are good people who made a bad decision.

“We’re still a tough jail, but we are going to be a professional one,” Cradduck said. “That is the standard and I will not lower it. We are paid professionals and we are going to act like it.”

The inmate was transferred to Vista Health a few days after the incident, Cradduck said.

Upcoming Events