Hamilton County Sheriff Sgt. Jesse Franklin has been fired, according to Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil, after an investigation revealed “he used excessive force by kicking Nicholas Ballachino in the head while handcuffed.”
Franklin was arrested and charged earlier this month with one count of misdemeanor assault for kicking Ballachino, an inmate.
On June 9, Ballachino was arrested by the Cincinnati Police Department for the misdemeanor charges of Disorderly Conduct While Intoxicated and Obstructing Official Business and taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center to be processed.
“During the admissions process into the Hamilton County Justice Center, as Mr. Ballachino was being searched, a physical altercation occurred between Mr. Ballachino and Sheriff’s deputies, resulting in Mr. Ballachino being restrained on the ground by multiple deputies,” according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. “A review of video footage of the incident shows that, while Mr. Ballachino was on the ground in handcuffs, Sgt. Franklin kicked Mr. Ballachino in the head.”
After an investigation, the case was forwarded to the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, which presented it to a grand jury, who handed down the indictment resulting in Franklin’s misdemeanor charge. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the case will be transferred to the City of Cincinnati because they prosecute all misdemeanors that happen within city limits.
If he is convicted, Franklin will face up to six months in the Justice Center.
This article appears in The Summer Guide.