Ex-jailer pleads guilty in use of force case
A former Canadian County correctional officer admitted Thursday he used unreasonable force on an inmate during a 2014 incident at the jail in El Reno.
The former lieutenant, Jason Barber, pleaded guilty in Oklahoma City federal court to deprivation of rights under color of law, a misdemeanor. Barber, 41, of Bethany, admitted to striking a pretrial detainee during a disciplinary hearing Dec. 23, 2014.
“Our prisons and jails are very dangerous places. ... And sometimes people that work there don’t get enough support,” defense attorney Michael Johnson told The Oklahoman after the plea hearing. “Sometimes incidents occur and this was just one of those unfortunate incidents.
“Hopefully the Legislature will do their job and give correctional officers the funding and resources to do their jobs so these incidents don’t happen anymore.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Shon T. Erwin accepted Barber’s guilty plea. The judge will choose Barber’s punishment at sentencing early next year.
The maximum punishment for the offense is one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine. Attorneys in the case have agreed that Barber should be sentenced to probation.
Prosecutors reported the offense is a misdemeanor because the inmate didn’t suffer “bodily injury.”
The inmate, Lloyd Wayne Tillman, then 35, of Mustang, had been booked into the jail in May 2014 on warrants related to multiple criminal counts, including unauthorized use of a vehicle and drug offenses, records show.
On Dec. 23, 2014, Tillman had a disciplinary hearing related to his conduct in the jail. Tillman wasn’t restrained during the hearing and was “acting a fool,” according to Barber’s attorney.
When Barber attempted to grab and restrain Tillman, he ultimately hit the inmate, the defense attorney said.
Tillman remained in the jail until September 2015, when he was moved to prison on Canadian County convictions, records show. He was released from prison in March.
Barber began working for the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office in September 2011. He was terminated March 10, 2016, after another “use of force” incident involving a handcuffed inmate. That February 2016 incident occurred when Barber responded to an altercation between two inmates, according to his termination letter.
An internal investigation into that incident found Barber’s actions were “excessive in nature due to the degree of physicality.” Barber grabbed, pushed, chest bumped and knocked the handcuffed inmate down during the incident, according to the letter.
Barber now works in construction and fire safety. He remains CLEET certified, according to his attorney.