LECANTO, Fla. — A corrections officer was arrested following a use of force incident that allegedly caused an inmate to lose consciousness, according to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened on Oct. 6 at the Citrus County Detention Facility when CoreCivic Corrections Officer Joshua Swanson approached a cell that had its lights off. When Swanson entered the area, an inmate appeared to turn on the light. Within about 15 seconds, the officer put the inmate in handcuffs.
The facility investigator reported no defensive actions from Swanson were observed during this time.
Surveillance video released by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office shows Swanson attempting to remove the inmate from the cell. Swanson can be seen on video performing what is described as a hip toss and pinning the inmate to the ground.
Once the inmate was on the ground, it appeared the inmate attempted to sit up or turn. The officer was then seen pressing his forearm into the inmate’s head “with significant force, causing the inmate’s head to strike the floor,” the sheriff’s office said. The inmate said he lost consciousness after being taken to the ground.
An arrest warrant was issued for Swanson and he was taken into custody on a single charge of battery on Oct. 13.
The Citrus County Detention Facility is operated under a contract with CoreCivic.
