NEWPORT, Tenn. — A former Cocke County corrections officer has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and official oppression after a body cam video seemed to show him using excessive force on an inmate.
Kelton Townsend, 29, was charged a few days after the inmate, Jerry Miller, filed a lawsuit.
In the video that was released to 10News, you can hear Miller exchanging words with Townsend before Kelton appears to grab Miller by the neck and slam him to the ground with a loud thud. According to the lawsuit, Miller suffered eight broken ribs and a punctured lung in the incident.
(Warning: Video contains graphic content)
Townsend made his first appearance in a Cocke County courtroom on the criminal charges on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty.