The Denver deputy seen punching a jail inmate in a surveillance video will not be prosecuted on criminal charges, the Denver district attorney’s office announced Friday.
Investigators determined that an unjustified use of force could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt in the July incident involving Denver Sheriff Deputy Thomas Ford, the office of DA Mitch Morrissey said in a news release.
However, the incident remains under investigation by the sheriff’s department’s internal affairs bureau. A predisciplinary hearing was held Friday, and the Denver safety manager has 15 days to decide if and how Ford could be punished, said Daelene Mix, the safety manager’s spokeswoman.
Ford’s actions became a pivotal moment in the sheriff’s department.
The week after Ford was caught on camera punching an inmate, Gary Wilson stepped down as sheriff and Mayor Michael Hancock called for an end to the cycle of violence inside the jails.
“It’s not just one case we’ve been following up on,” Hancock said at a July 17 news conference. “There’s been a string of incidents. Enough is enough.”
A second deputy also was placed on investigative leave in the incident.
Deputy William Lewis, a 12-year department veteran, was accused of filing an inaccurate report related to the inappropriate- force allegation against Ford.
In a video of the incident, Ford is seen working behind a kiosk and an inmate is sitting along a wall. Ford strides toward the inmate, who stands as Ford is approaching. Ford then punched the inmate in the face, dropping him to the ground.
The video, which was recorded by security cameras inside the downtown detention center, does not have audio.
Ford, who has been a deputy for six years, also was implicated in the 2011 choking attack on former inmate Jamal Hunter, who last month received a $3.25 million settlement from the city for abuses he suffered inside the jail.
A video that was part of the Hunter case shows another deputy, Edward Keller, grabbing Hunter’s neck and shoving him onto a bunk inside his cell. Ford is seen holding down Hunter.
While Keller’s actions remain under investigation at the sheriff’s department, Ford was never investigated for his role in the Hunter incident.
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