Tennessee deputy pleads guilty to slapping handcuffed inmate
Published 10:47 am Wednesday, May 20, 2020
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
JOHNSON CITY (AP) — A Tennessee sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty Monday to simple assault after he slapped a handcuffed inmate.
Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Edwin “Eddie” Graybeal was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days of probation on the simple assault charge, news outlets reported.
The charge stems from a November 2018 confrontation that was recorded on another deputy’s body camera. The video was sent to news outlets in 2019 and showed Graybeal slapping a handcuffed inmate. Another deputy told Graybeal the inmate was being combative during his arrest.
Chief Deputy Leighta Laitinen said Graybeal self-reported the slap and was later reprimanded.
In September 2019, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was brought in to investigate and Graybeal was indicted and later suspended without pay by his father, Sheriff Ed Graybeal.
Lt. Graybeal’s attorney, Jim Bowman, said Graybeal intends to continue his law enforcement career. Bowman didn’t specify if Lt. Graybeal would return to the Washington County’s office.
Sheriff Graybeal didn’t immediately return comment requests.
