Inmate Bites Sergeant's Boot, Sergeant Kicks Inmate, Gets Charged With Assault

A sheriff’s deputy was arrested Thursday after a surveillance video showed him kicking an inmate who had bit his work boot while handcuffed and lying face-down in an Ohio jail.

Sgt. Jesse Franklin, who faces a misdemeanor assault charge, was one of six officers trying to restrain a struggling suspect at the Hamilton County Justice Center in Cincinnati on June 8. After they finally handcuffed and subdued the man, the inmate bit Franklin’s left boot, according to the video.

The sergeant responded by immediately kicking the man in the head, the shocking footage shows. The inmate was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for a cut above his left eye that required five stitches, authorities said Thursday.

“I am outraged and shocked by this egregious conduct,” Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil said in a statement. “These actions are inconsistent with our training and will not be tolerated under my watch.”

Neil said he ordered an investigation and stripped Franklin’s police powers as soon as he became aware of the incident last month.

The suspect has since been suspended without pay and Neil is proceeding with a disciplinary process required by a union contract.

The injured inmate, identified as Nick Ballachino, had been taken into custody on misdemeanor charges of obstructing official business and disorderly conduct while intoxicated.

Authorities said he did not sustain “serious physical harm,” which would have led to a felony assault charge against Franklin.