Mecklenburg jail officer arrested, fired for picking fight with inmate, sheriff says
A Mecklenburg County jail officer was arrested and fired Thursday for picking a fight with an inmate, Sheriff Garry McFadden said, calling the officer’s conduct “deeply disappointing.”
Darryl Shavers, the fired officer, had been arguing with the inmate, who then threw an empty paper cup at the Shavers, according to McFadden.
“Shavers then initiated physical contact with the victim that is unacceptable under MCSO policies and procedures,” according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.
Shavers’ written report about his “application of force” omitted details of the incident that were “cleary captured on video,” according to the release.
Shavers, 33, was arrested on felony assault charges from the Aug. 20 incident, McFadden said.
Jail records indicate Shavers was not being held in the jail as of Thursday afternoon. Shavers did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.
In the release, McFadden said Shavers “attacked a resident while working in a resident housing unit inside Mecklenburg County Detention Center-Central.”
Shaver worked for the sheriff’s office since June 5, 2019.
“Officer Shavers’ actions were not in keeping with MCSO training and policy and were, in fact, criminal in nature,” McFadden said. “The dangers of working in a detention facility are certainly not lost on me. However, I have to ensure the safety of not only my officers, but also the residents of our detention facilities.”
McFadden said the conduct “undermines the professional work being done by the vast majority of the detention professionals at MCSO.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 5:03 PM.