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Broward deputy charged with punching handcuffed inmate

Body cam video shows Broward County deputy Jorge Sobrino punching a suspect, David O'Connell, who was handcuffed to a hospital bed.
Posted at 12:53 PM, Jun 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-28 12:53:46-04

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida sheriff's deputy faces a misdemeanor battery charge for punching an inmate who was handcuffed to a hospital bed.

Prosecutors filed the charges against 24-year-old Broward Sheriff's Deputy Jorge Sobrino on Thursday afternoon.

The Broward State Attorney's Office said in a news release that the Jan. 2 incident at Broward Health North medical center was captured on body cam videofootage. The video showed Sobrino punching David Rafferty O'Connell as he was handcuffed to the bed.

O'Connell had been arrested and taken to the hospital for medical clearance after he'd tried to fight an employee at a store.

Sobrino is expected to be arraigned soon. His initial court appearance hasn't been scheduled and it's not known whether he has a lawyer.

He faces up to a year in jail.