A Shelby County corrections officer has been charged with assault after sheriff’s officials say he fired his Taser twice through a jail cell’s food-pass opening, striking an inmate during a dispute that started over a food tray. Tyler Bowman now faces one count of assault, and he has been placed on administrative leave while the case moves through Sidney Municipal Court.
What Surveillance Video Allegedly Shows
According to WKEF / Dayton 24/7 Now, Sheriff James Frye said surveillance footage first showed Bowman approaching and entering a cell to hand an inmate a food tray. Frye said the video then showed Bowman returning to the cell seven minutes later and getting into an argument with the inmate. During that exchange, the inmate allegedly pushed the food tray back through the cell’s food-pass opening toward Bowman.
Per the sheriff, Bowman then allegedly threw the food tray to the ground and became, in Frye’s words, very animated toward the inmate. Bowman is said to have closed the food pass and walked away, only for the video to allegedly show him firing his Taser twice through the opening, striking the inmate on both attempts.
Sheriff Cites Policy Violation, Ongoing Discipline
Frye said Bowman’s actions amounted to excessive and unwarranted force against a male inmate and that the conduct violated the sheriff’s office’s use-of-force and restraint policy. The incident was reported by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office as occurring on October 23, and Bowman was subsequently placed on administrative leave, with the sheriff’s office saying administrative action remains ongoing.
Shelby County officials and municipal court prosecutors conducted an investigation into the incident, and prosecutors ultimately advised the sheriff’s office that they believed Bowman’s actions warranted criminal charges, according to the outlet’s report. That led to the single count of assault now filed against him. Under Ohio law, assault charges in Shelby County fall under the jurisdiction of the Sidney Municipal Court, according to Ohio Revised Code.
Statute and Unanswered Questions
Ohio’s assault statute states that a person commits the offense by knowingly causing or attempting to cause physical harm to another, or by recklessly causing serious physical harm, per the relevant section of the Ohio Revised Code. The full statutory excerpt available does not detail every element of the charge or its penalties.
Dayton 24/7 Now has requested a copy of the surveillance video from the sheriff’s office. The outlet has said it plans to provide updates as more information becomes available, including any further detail on the case’s progress through the courts.
