Two Tazewell County corrections officers who pleaded guilty to official misconduct in early February in connection with the alleged beating of an inmate are back at their posts.
Sgt. Michael Harper, 43, and corrections Officer Joel Brown, 27, pleaded guilty Thursday before the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Merit Commission to amended charges filed by Sheriff Robert Huston in July 2009 after they were indicted by a Tazewell county grand jury for felony official misconduct charges.
The amended charges presented to the merit commission say that both Brown and Harper nearly violated state statute by “failing to use the least force necesary under the circumstances.”
Harper, Brown and officers Eric Rasmussen and Schad Martin were indictedfor official misconduct, a Class 3 felony, for not providing appropriate medical care to inmate Charles Chandler, now 25, of Washington.
Chandler suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs and lost some of his teeth as the four officers tried to remove his handcuffs and his clothing in a segregation cell, where Chandler had been taken after threatening to kill himself.
In the agreement, the sheriff dropped other counts related to the beating that mirrored the grand jury indictments.
Harper and Brown can’t appeal the stipulated agreement, can’t receive pay for the 219-day suspension served after the grand jury indictments and can’t count the time on suspension toward seniority for job-bidding purposes.
Huston said Tuesday that the officers had to do a few days of training in use of force, firearms and changes to the records system.
The stipulated agreement, said Huston, is what he expected.
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