A Vermont sheriff's captain has been fired for allegedly kicking a detainee in the groin earlier this month, officials said Thursday.
Captain John Grismore was booted from the Franklin County Sheriff's Department after he was allegedly caught on camera using excessive force on a suspect in custody.
Video Footage
Grismore's actions with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 7 were called "egregious" in a statement by SheriffRoger Langevin. The sheriff's office provided video footage of Grismore appearing to kick a trespassing suspect in the stomach and groin area. The unidentified suspect was handcuffed and shackled while he was at the sheriff's office.
In the video, a shirtless man wearing jeans is handcuffed with his wrists behind his back while his ankles are fastened to a bench. At one point, the detained man stand's up and ends up falling on his stomach and saying, "Oh, that hurt."
Two deputies appear in the frame and help the man up. The detained man then tells a deputy, "Can I smash you in the face?"
Shortly after, Grismore is seen appearing to kick the detained man in his stomach. Grismore, who is not in uniform, then appears to twice push his foot near the suspect's groin while telling him to sit down.
The detained man appears to call Grismore a homophobic slur more than once. Grismore then appears to kick the detained man in the stomach.
Grismore Running for Sheriff, Placed on Leave Before Being Axed
Grismore was running unopposed for the Republican nomination for Franklin County Sheriff in Tuesday night's primary election to replace Langevin.
"The egregious incident involving Grismore was reported to me by deputies working for me here at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office," Langevin said in the statement. "I am proud of our deputies' actions and integrity in coming forward with this information."
"Grismore is no longer employed by the FCSO and no longer has my support for Sheriff," added Langevin, who previously supported Grismore's bid for Sheriff. "Additionally, I have filed the incident with the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council ... and they may institute sanctions including revocation of law enforcement certification."
Grismore had been on administrative leave and Vermont State Police have opened a criminal investigation into the alleged assault, the sheriff's office said.
Langevin said it "would be improper for me to comment on" the investigation. But he added that "the actions of Capt. Grismore do not reflect the values and high standards of conduct and performance that I expect from my staff each and every day."
