An Osceola County Sheriff’s Deputy was suspended after footage caught him striking a handcuffed hospital patient.
Dirio Sinclair was guarding an inmate handcuffed to his hospital bed when he started pulling on the railing and refused to lay back down.
“The patient had one arm handcuffed to the bed and he was under arrest for violating a domestic violence injunction,” OCS Marcos Lopez said Tuesday.
“Upon receiving this information regarding the behavior of this deputy, we relieved him of his duty, took his gun and badge, and started the investigation.”
Lopez added that preliminary investigation showed both men “in crisis” and that Sinclair’s mental health condition contributed to his violent response.
“It’s potentially a crime committed by a deputy. This crime is a misdemeanor battery case,” the sheriff added.
