Correctional officer charged after surveillance footage catches him repeatedly hitting man in custody
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Cook County Sheriff's Department/ Jim West / Alamy
A correctional officer has been charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct, after surveillance footage caught him repeatedly hitting a man in custody.
Authorities have announced the charge after Richard Smith, 44, was accused of beating the man.
This week, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office released a surveillance video from September 2022, which showed a man speaking to Smith and another guard.
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But when that guard moved on, Smith can be seen punching the individual, and can even be seen doing so after the man had fell to the ground.
After that, a few unidentified officers entered the room, with at least one of them punching the man while he was still on the ground.
Meanwhile, after a few seconds of punching, some of the prison guard officers moved in to break up the incident.
A press release from the sheriff's office stated that "Smith struck an individual in custody more than 30 times in the Jail’s Residential Treatment Unit" on 20 September 2022.
The man struck was a 24-years-old, who was treated for his injuries. His name wasn’t released by the sheriff’s office.
Smith has been working for the office since 2010, but was was "de-deputized following the incident and removed from working with individuals in custody while the criminal investigation was pending."
In the press release, Sheriff Dart said: "Excessive or unlawful force is not tolerated. We have instituted a nationally recognized system to help prevent such abuse and prosecute it when it happens.
"Those who engage in this abuse completely disregarded their training, and they disparage the hardworking men and women who keep the jail safe and secure."
The office added that they are looking into suspending Smith without pay and are also set to recommend for him to be sacked to the Sheriff’s Merit Board.
It comes after Smith turned himself in and appeared in court on Tuesday (18 April), where a judge set his bond at $50,000.
Smith alongside other Cook County correctional officers are represented by the Teamsters Union.
As per CNN, Teamsters Local 700 president Ramon Williams said: "While we do not comment publicly on specific individuals under investigation, we stand behind our membership.
"We urge the Cook County Sheriff’s office to partner with us to address the longstanding challenges that our members consistently face within the jail to promote a safe environment for everyone."