Video shows deputy punching Manatee County jail inmate. He could be charged with a crime
A former Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputy is facing a criminal charge after he was caught on video punching an inmate at the county jail.
Louis Valentin, 34, the third deputy this year charged with using excessive force against a jail inmate, resigned on Aug. 8, before he could be fired, the sheriff’s office said Friday.
The sheriff’s office has recommended to the state attorney’s office that Valentin be charged with battery.
At about 1 a.m. on Aug. 4, Valentin removed an inmate from his cell in the disciplinary cell block at the jail after hearing him banging loudly and yelling, handcuffed him and with the assistance of another deputy took the inmate out to the disciplinary exercise yard, according to an internal affairs report. When Valentin went to close the door, the inmate stuck his hands in the opening.
After a brief tug of war with the door, Valentin pushed the door open, stepped into the yard and and immediately punched the still-handcuffed inmate in the face.
Valentin claimed that the punch “was reactionary” because the inmate spit on his face, which the inmate denied doing, according to the report.
The incident was captured by a surveillance camera at the jail. The sheriff’s office released the video Friday.
“This is not how our deputies are trained, and this type of behavior will not be tolerated at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Rick Wells said. “Standards are in place to prevent incidents like this from happening, but when a deputy or employee fails to follow our rules they will face consequences for their actions, to include termination and criminal prosecution.”
Valentin, who was hired in December 2015, is not the only former deputy currently facing battery charges for abusing an inmate.
Deputy Tyler Lemond was fired on April 24 after an internal affairs investigation concluded he had used excessive force against an inmate. The state attorney’s office has since charged him with misdemeanor battery.
In May, deputy Daniel Bower resigned when an unrelated investigation concluded he had also used excessive force against an inmate. Bower has also since been charged with battery.
And in June, another former deputy, Paul Wagner, took a plea deal and was sentenced to four months in jail for slamming an inmate’s face to the floor in June 2017.
“Recently, there has been a pattern of abusive conduct among a small percentage of the approximately 300 corrections employees, of which those four have been criminally charged,” Wells said. This culture has been identified, and all deputies in our Corrections Bureau are currently going through additional training.”
Valentin resigned before an internal affairs investigation was even complete.
“I have learned so much from deputies in corrections and in law enforcement,” Valentin wrote in his resignation letter. “I will treasure the brotherhood in my squad and in the special response team. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve my community just as I served my nation as a United States Marine.”
The internal affairs investigation was concluded on Thursday because Valentin did not make him self available for an interview with internal affairs investigators.
“In choosing to use the unnecessary and excessive force against (the inmate), Deputy Valentin came into contraction in regard to the governance mandated through the core values of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office,” the internal affairs investigator wrote in his conclusion.
The investigation sustained three allegations against Valentin, one count of unlawful conduct and two counts of conduct unbecoming a deputy.
Despite initially claiming that he hit the inmate as a reaction to the inmate spitting in his face, he later admitted that initial account was false during his interview with investigators during the criminal investigation. He told investigators that it was “unintentional spittle” that emanated from the inmate’s mouth.
He further contradicted himself when he admitted that “he had intended to use force to physically remove (the inmate) from the holding the door.”
The report states that termination would have been recommended, regardless of whether Valentin is charged criminally or the outcome of any potential prosecution.
“Luis Valentin abandoned his sworn pledge of service to the community, and blemished the integrity of not only the deputies with which he served, but all law enforcement officers sworn to protect and defend the constitutions of both the State of Florida, and the United States of America,” the sheriff’s office concluded.
This story was originally published August 16, 2019 at 10:29 AM.
