Two Jailers at Oklahoma County Jail are Charged with Felony Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon
On April 19, 2017, 40-year-old Charlton Cash Chrisman died after being incarcerated at Oklahoma County Jail for a day. The alleged cause of death was acute methamphetamine intoxication leading to agitated delirium. The autopsy also says that a contributing factor to Chrisman’s death was multiple hits from pepper balls. The pepper balls were allegedly fired by detention officers. On Thursday, December 14, 2017, two former jailers at the Oklahoma County Jail were criminally charged with felony assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Immediately after the incident involving Chrisman, the two jailers were assigned to duties that involved no contact with prisoners. One of the officers resigned on August 8. The other was fired on Thursday, after the criminal charges were filed against him.
Before Chrisman died, there had been two altercations inside the jail with jailers. In the first, Chrisman tore the sprinkler head off of his cell. The two detention officers who have now been charged with a crime were part of a special reaction team. As soon as the door to Chrisman’s cell was opened, they allegedly began firing pepper ball guns at him, according to the testimony of a special agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
In interviews, the two officers allegedly admitted to shooting Chrisman with pepper balls as the door opened. One of the officers also allegedly confessed to shooting the prisoner at close range as other jailers were trying to physically restrain him, which was the second altercation.
Chrisman was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died. The autopsy report showed that he had up to 16 circular contusions on his body, which were consistent with injuries caused by a pepper ball gun. In addition, he allegedly had multiple contusions and abrasions on his arms, back, legs, cheeks, nose, and forehead.
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