The Pike County Prosecutor has requested the FBI and the Ohio Attorney General's Office look into a case involving a Pike County sheriff's deputy.
The incident on Nov. 18, was caught on surveillance cameras inside and outside of the sheriff's office.
The video shows Deputy Jeremy Mooney pepper-spraying 27-year old Thomas Friend who was shackled to a restraint chair. When Friend backs up the chair and it falls off the curb, the cameras show Deputy Mooney spraying him again while on his back.
From there the cameras switch inside the sheriff's department holding cell. Friend is still shackled to the restraint chair.
Deputy Mooney says that while trying to put leg restraints on the inmate, he was spat on.
The cameras show Deputy Mooney striking the inmate in the head with his hand three times. The inmate is then moved across the room and his chair is restrained to a metal door. Deputy Mooney punches the inmate in the face again three times, then punches him again another five times.
"There's no excuse for behavior like this none at all. I think there's a pretty much 100% chance that Mr. Friend is going to sue and he has a right to do so and I'm not going to criticize him for doing so," said Pike County Prosecutor Rob Junk.
After the sheriff's department reviewed the video and interviewed Deputy Mooney, the Sheriff's Department recommended that Mooney be placed on paid administrative leave which was supported by the FOP and the legal advisor to the sheriff's department.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case. Mooney resigned effective January 4, 2020.
The Pike County prosecutor says based on his research the deputy could face felony charges of what's called "deprivation of rights under the color of law" which means a person is claiming or implying the acts he or she is committing are related to and legitimized by his or her role as an agent of governmental power, especially if the acts are unlawful.
10TV attempted to reach the Pike County Sheriff for comment but was not successful.
A Pike County Sergeant was also disciplined as a result of the incident. He was demoted in rank and serve a two-week suspension.