ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A St. Lucie County detention deputy is under arrest for battery and official misconduct after authorities said he violently shoved an jail inmate into a wall, causing a gash on his nose.
Deputy Darrius Randolph, 23, was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail -- the same place he works at -- around 8 p.m. Wednesday and bonded out about two hours later.
According to authorities, the incident happened on Sept. 5 when inmates were given razor blades for their personal hygiene.
Once the inmates were done using the razor blades, detention deputies collected them and found that one blade was missing.
"Another deputy learned who had the missing razor and provided verbal counseling to that inmate and others in that cell, as well as recovered the missing razor," Chief Deputy Brian Hester said at a news conference on Thursday.
Hester said that once the razor was recovered, Randolph entered the cell and told all the inmates -- besides the victim -- to leave.
"He physically shoved the victim into the wall and down onto the floor, causing him to receive a gash on his nose," Hester said.
Randolph then took the victim to a common area and said he had "no knowledge of how the inmate was injured," according to Hester. Randolph later falsified information in his official report.
The victim, who Hester said was not the inmate who took the razor blade, filed an internal complaint with the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office's Detention Investigation Division.
An official review of the incident determined that Randolph used "excessive force" on the inmate, Hester said.
"The members of this agency who work at the jail are entrusted with the care, custody, and control of all of our inmates," Hester said. "When that trust is broken and the highest standards are not met or maintained, even by one person, that person has failed our community."
WATCH NEWS CONFERENCE:
Hester said Randolph has been employed by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office since March of 2020 and has had no prior disciplinary action.
Randolph is currently on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs investigation.
