A Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall counselor has been charged with assault by a public official, stemming from an incident earlier this year where he allegedly punched a detained minor a dozen times before slamming his face against the floor, the county district attorney’s office announced Tuesday.
The incident occurred on April 14 when two juveniles attacked another juvenile inside the hall. Medellin, a counselor at the prison for approximately 18 years, intervened and grabbed one of the two inmates who initiated the fight.
He allegedly punched the 17-year-old minor approximately 12 times as the juvenile tried to protect his head with his hands. Once the teenager was on the ground face down, Medellin slammed his head on the floor once before handcuffing him.
The incident was videotaped, however officials did not release the footage to protect the identities of the juveniles.
"Sometimes force by law enforcement is necessary to stop a dangerous person from hurting others," Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "However, excessive force by a person hired to protect and serve minors is unnecessary and wrong. It is over the line, unacceptable, and criminal."
Medellin is scheduled to be arraigned at a later date and, if convicted, faces incarceration.
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