Prosecutors dismiss charge against ex-jailers
Prosecutors on Thursday dismissed an assault case against two former Oklahoma County jailers who were charged after an inmate died.
The mentally ill inmate died after being shot repeatedly with pepper balls.
“The case needed more investigation before I can move forward,” District Attorney David Prater told The
Oklahoman. “New information came to my attention that must be pursued.”
Prater dismissed the felony case “pending further investigation,” records show.
Colton Ray, 27, and Brian Harrison, 33, were charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in December. Prater, at the time, alleged their actions were “without justifiable or excusable cause” when they shot the inmate with pepper ball guns April 19, 2017.
The inmate, Charlton Cash Chrisman, 40, of Yukon, died that day of “agitated delirium due to acute methamphetamine intoxication,” according to an autopsy report. A contributing factor in the death was “multiple pepper ball injuries.”
The district attorney released video of the incident last year.
Ray, a staff sergeant, resigned Aug. 8, 2017. Harrison, a detention officer, was fired after being charged. At the time of the incident, both were assigned to a special reaction team in the jail.
After the incident, Sheriff P.D. Taylor said dozens of changes were made at the jail.
“The DA’s decision was to dismiss charges but he’s going to look into it further and he may refile other charges,” the sheriff said Thursday.
Due to a pending lawsuit over the incident, the sheriff wouldn’t say whether pepper ball guns are still used in the jail.
On April 19, 2017, Chrisman flooded his cell by tearing off a sprinkler head. The special reaction team responded to extract him after a piece of metal was spotted inside the cell. Ray and Harrison fired their pepper ball guns at the inmate as he rushed out of the cell, according to investigators.
Ray and Harrison could not be reached by phone Thursday.
Last year, the inmate’s estate filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the county, Ray, Harrison, the sheriff and others. Chrisman’s family claims jailers failed to address his obvious mental instability and then used excessive force.