Christopher Cluley, a 48-year-old former corrections officer from Mount Pleasant, was handed a one-year probationary sentence after entering guilty pleas to charges of aggravated assault and willful neglect of duty, as reported by Click On Detroit. The assault incident, dating back to April 2020, occurred at Isabella County Jail where Cluley was the supervising administrator at the time. The prosecution described a sequence of violent actions where Cluley grabbed, spun, and shoved an inmate against a cell door and wall, followed by pushing him to the ground, resulting in the fracture of the inmate’s left knee.
The incident triggered an internal inquiry by the Isabella County Sheriff's Department and subsequent involvement of the Michigan State Police, culminating in the referral of the case to the Department of Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel credited the coordinated efforts of local and state law enforcement agencies for permanently barring Cluley from law enforcement employment in Michigan, she said "My office remains committed to ensuring officers who violate their oaths to protect and serve are held accountable", in a statement highlighted by the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
As part of his plea deal, Cluley is required to sign an affidavit of decertification and is prohibited from seeking recertification as a corrections officer in Michigan, additionally, the plea terms mandate that he undergo an anger management assessment and attend anger management classes. The assault took place amidst a cell transfer following a verbal altercation between the inmate and another corrections officer, with video evidence capturing Cluley forcibly pushing the inmate, who audibly cried out in pain upon suffering the knee injury.
Following the incident, Cluley was suspended and subjected to an administrative leave while investigations were in progress, the administrative and law enforcement scrutiny revealed a breach of the standards expected of corrections officers who are entrusted with the responsibility to oversee individuals remanded to the carceral state, officials expressed their commitment toward upholding the integrity of the profession and ensuring the protection of individuals under correctional supervision.
