PENDLETON, Ind. -- A corrections officer at the Pendleton Correctional Facility was arrested Tuesday morning after he was reportedly caught on video battering an inmate while attempting to restrain him at the facility's infirmary.
According to court documents filed on Tuesday, 34-year-old Shaunacy Edmonds, a Muncie resident, was charged with one count of battery and one count of official misconduct.
On May 14, facility staff were bringing an inmate to the facility's infirmary. During that time, video of the incident reportedly showed staff attempting to put restraints on the inmate to "possibly stop resisting staff."
During attempts to subdue the inmate, the video reportedly shows Edmonds throwing "several strikes to the facial region of (the inmate) who did not appear to be resisting staff anymore."
"It was also noted at one time, (Edmonds) delivered a knee strike to (the inmate)," the documents read. "(The inmate) was in a 'spit mask' and was restrained behind his back sitting in a chair before the above occurred."
All the staff were asked to complete a use of force report by their supervisors surrounding the incident. The documents said that there were "several discrepancies regarding what occurred and what was reported by staff" surrounding the incident captured on video.
In the report provided by Edmonds, the documents said that the inmate was pulling against the restraints and attempting to get free, a claim which officials said that was not supported by video review. Edmonds also said that he struck his knee to the inmate's upper chest, where the video shows the knee strike hitting the inmate's head.
Edmonds also said he punched the inmate three times to the head as the inmate attempted to get his restraints off, another claim that was not reportedly supported by video, according to the documents.
In an interview with the inmate, he said that he kept threatening to spit/hurt staff while he was in the infirmary. The inmate then told detectives that Edmonds "dropped (him) on (his face). The inmate said the officer kept striking him in the head with a balled fist, and was also kneed by him.
The inmate said as this was going on, a woman in the room reportedly said, "No, stop hitting him like that," referring to the alleged actions to the inmate.
"(The inmate) then said he feared the officer (referring to Edmonds) and stated he was not mad at the other officers involved because they did not strike him," the documents read. "(The inmate) said he did not mean any of the threats he said, he was just mad."
Investigators interviewed various other witnesses of the reported incident. The documents said that there were various accounts of what happened, given by different employees at the Pendleton Correctional Facility.
In an interview with Edmonds, the documents said that Edmonds continued to claim that the inmate was attempting to remove himself from restraints. Edmonds clarified that "at no point did he see (the inmate's) hand move but said he 'knew' (the inmate) was attempting to remove the restraints."
During the incident, Edmonds told detectives that he did not hear anyone to stop hitting the inmate. The documents said that Edmonds asked another staff member if the way he addressed the situation was wrong and the staff member reportedly told him that "it could have been done a different way."
"Due to several statements of Edmonds not matching video, other staff interviews, the offender interview, evidence and video; Edmonds was placed under arrest and transported to the Madison County Jail after his interview," the documents read.
Officials with the Indiana Department of Correction said that they do not have any official statement on this matter.