Tallahassee police officer could face criminal charges after prison fight

Man found dead after a TPD officer responded to an emergency call in Tallahassee

A first-year Tallahassee police officer has been fired and is likely to be prosecuted after a fight with a man booked in the Leon County jail.

About two hours after the Tallahassee Democrat first reported the incident, TPD chief Lawrence Revell announced in a press release Monday night that Officer Charles Hansford had been fired as part of a criminal investigation. Prosecutor Jack Campbell previously told the Democrat he would “anticipate indictments in the future.”

In a prepared statement, Revell said the incident was a violation of TPD’s policies.

“We hold the men and women who wear this uniform to the highest standard,” Revell said. “We take incidents like this very seriously and will hold accountable those who violate department policies.”

TPD released a one-minute video of the incident after officers stopped the man around 3 a.m. on January 18 following an accident near the intersection of Blair Stone and Centerville streets. The man performed poorly on sobriety tests, according to TPD, and was taken into custody for drink driving.

See the video of the incident here

The video shows the arrested man, Hansford, and another first-year officer, Edward Campbell, walking into the main entrance of the Leon County Detention Facility’s port of call.

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Police said there was a “heated” argument between Hansford and the handcuffed man, who has not been identified, after which the officer slammed the handcuffed man against the wall.

“While preparing to bring the detainee in for admission, Hansford physically engaged with the detainee, even though the detainee was handcuffed,” police wrote in the press release. “No injuries have been reported as a result of the incident.”

According to TPD, Campbell separated the men and de-escalated the situation. The video shows Campbell pinning Hansford to the ground.

“His quick action helped de-escalate the situation and reflects the tactics taught in TPD’s extensive training,” TPD said in a statement.

Both he and Hansford, who was initially placed on administrative leave before his sacking, were hired in 2020.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.

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The post Tallahassee police officer could face criminal charges after prison fight first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

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