CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Two Cook County sheriff's deputies are charged with felonies, both accused of beating inmates at the jail.
Both deputies are charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct, and the sheriff is moving to fire them both.
The most recent incident was in September. The sheriff's office said 44-year-old Deputy Richard Smith repeatedly pummeled an inmate more than 30 times in less than a minute.
In a security video, it appears another deputy is holding the inmate while the beating was going on, and, later, other deputies rush in.
Warning: The video below is graphic.
"The actions of the sheriff's office staff in this incident are under administrative investigation," the sheriff’s office said.
In an incident from December 2021, the sheriff's office said 52-year-old Deputy Reginald Roberson placed handcuffs over his knuckles and hit an inmate multiple times.
Warning: The video below is graphic.
The sheriff's office said both incidents were discovered as supervisors looked at the jail's security video.
The Cook County Sheriff says a 44-year-old deputy accused of beating a jail inmate has been charged with two felonies: aggravated battery and official misconduct.
It was a security video inside the jail that triggered the investigation.
The Cook County Sheriff's Office said the video shows Correctional Officer Richard Smith repeatedly beating a 24-year-old jail inmate in the jail's residential treatment unit. The video, obtained by WBBM via a FOIA request, shows Smith pummeling him more than 30 times in less than a minute.
Warning: The video below is graphic.
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