By Heather Chapin
The Morning Journal, Lorain, Ohio
LORAIN, Ohio — A Lorain County Common Pleas Court jury found a former Lorain County corrections officer not guilty of felony charges filed against him in connection with injuries to an inmate, according to Lorain County Prosecutor Tony Cillo.
Brian Tellier was acquitted Dec. 5.
“I would have preferred it the other way, but I certainly understand and that’s just how the system works,” said Cillo of the jury’s decision.
“We take cases. We present them to a jury and they make a decision. We all have all roles and that’s the outcome of this particular case.”
Tellier, of Elyria, was indicted by a Lorain County grand jury following an investigation by Sheriff Jack Hall’s Corrections Inspector General.
The jury found him not guilty of two counts of tampering with records and one count of felonious assault, said Cillo.
Assistant Prosecutor Paul Griffith handled the case.
Tellier was accused of assaulting Jeffrey Fry, who suffered permanent severe injuries while an inmate at the Lorain County Correctional Facility in May 2023.
Fry allegedly suffered a spinal cord injury after Tellier reportedly slammed him head-first into a wall May 12, 2023, while he was handcuffed behind his back.
Early in 2024, Fry filed a lawsuit against 18 defendants from the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, Elyria Police Department and LifeCare Ambulance Inc.
The lawsuit states Fry suffered a spinal injury during an altercation with Tellier when he was a corrections officer at the county jail.
The lawsuit asks for $40 million in damages and was filed in U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division.
Cleveland -based law firm Spangenberg, Shibley & Liber filed the suit on behalf of Fry.
The lawsuit maintains that surveillance video shows Fry lost consciousness on the ground when he was shoved into the wall.
“After regaining consciousness, Fry is shown to be unable to walk, stand, or control his extremities,” the lawsuit states.
“The defendants then proceeded to drag Fry by his handcuffed arms into a booking vestibule, his legs and feet sliding across the concrete floor, rather than providing him the proper medical assistance.”
After the altercation, Fry continued to show signs and symptoms of head, neck and spinal cord injuries, however, the defendants are accused of failing to stabilize or immobilize his head or neck, according to the suit.
“Rather, Fry was violently manhandled, thrown onto a gurney face down, and flipped over onto his back, all with deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs and with reckless disregard for his well-being,” the suit states.
The suit alleges Fry suffered a permanent spinal cord injury resulting in partial paralysis and weakness, chronic pain and disability.
The lawsuit is being handled by a special prosecutor, Cillo said.
Meanwhile, Tellier is scheduled for a trial next year where he faces two counts of endangering children, third-degree felonies; and one first-degree count of endangering children.
The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by the Elyria Police Department.
On Feb. 26 , the Elyria Police Department initiated an investigation following a report of a 6-year-old child exhibiting signs of medical distress while at Tiny Town Childcare, 206 Cleveland St., officials have said.
Safety service personnel who responded to the scene found the child was shaking, lethargic and intermittently unresponsive, shortly after being dropped off by a family member.
Medical evaluations showed the child tested positive for THC, a component of marijuana.
An investigation revealed that THC-infused gummies were present and accessible in the house where the child was.
The Lorain County grand jury indicted Tellier on the charges on July 16.
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