Newly released security video shows a corrections officer at the Hamilton County Jail holding a looped belt before allegedly beating an inmate on Nov. 19.
The video was released by the county less than 24 hours after Jordan Anderson, 26, was arrested and charged with one count of misdemeanor assault. Anderson is accused of knowingly attempting to cause physical harm against an inmate by striking him on the lower back and buttocks area with his county-issued belt, according to court documents.
“Anderson removed his county-issued uniform belt and struck (the inmate) two times in the lower back/buttock region,” a witness affidavit states. He admitted to this when interviewed by detectives, according to court documents.
Video footage reviewed by CityBeat appears to show Anderson walking towards the alleged victim with his belt at the ready. Anderson and the inmate are out of the camera’s view during the alleged assault, but a glimpse of the belt in the air can be seen at 0:16 in the below video. Walking quickly down the hallway after, Anderson can be seen putting his county-issued belt back on while the inmate appears to point out his injury to other inmates.
Watch below:
A report released with the footage said the incident occurred on the fifth floor of the jail’s North Building.
On Nov. 20, Anderson was booked into the same county jail where he works on Sycamore Street in Downtown.
Anderson was held overnight until his arraignment Friday afternoon where a judge gave him a $1,000 bond. Jail records show he made bond and was possibly issued an electronic monitoring device, or EMD.
A spokesperson for the county said Anderson has been placed on administrative leave “pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.”
“We will release the full report as soon as the investigation is closed,” the spokesperson said. “That is all we have to release at this time.”
Ohio’s assault statute bumps charges from a misdemeanor to a felony when an incarcerated person assaults a correctional employee, but it does not provide a similar felony enhancement the situation is reversed.