Marion corrections officer suspended, accused of slamming suspect's head into wall

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A Marion County Corrections deputy has been arrested and charged with battery after investigators said video shows him slamming a suspect's head into a concrete wall.

Officials said while DUI suspect James Duckworth was being booked, he made some sort of spitting noise, and corrections deputy Charlie Broaderick slammed Duckworth's head against the wall, saying, "You don't spit at officers."

Duckworth was left unconscious and bleeding from the head, according to charging documents, officials said.

Broaderick, who is out of jail on bond, is now on unpaid suspension.

The sheriff's office said even with the surveillance video, there's not enough evidence to fire Broaderick.

The incident happened in what's called the "Intoxilyzer room" at the Marion County Jail, where suspected drunken drivers are taken.

"Your reaction to seeing the video and the public's reaction to it was the same for us," said Capt. Hames Pogue of the Marion County Sheriff's Office. "Same for Sheriff Blair when he watched it."

Officials said firing Broaderick before the case runs its course was not an option.

"How employers in law enforcement act is governed by Florida state statute," said Pogue.

Pogue said the process is very strict when it comes to an officer's rights to due process.

WFTV