Former jailer indicted on charge of assaulting an inmate

A former corrections corporal with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department has been indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury on an assault charge after allegedly hitting an inmate, authorities said Wednesday.

Joshua Bryant, a prisoner at the jail, alleged that he was struck by the former corporal, Dustin McCoig, on October 22, 2014, while he was an inmate and while McCoig was at work and on duty at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release.

Bryant and his family reported the incident, and an internal affairs investigation was launched, Clark said. The Sheriff’s Department presented the case to Clark, who in turn presented it to the Grand Jury on March 3.

The misdemeanor case is pending in the Anderson County Circuit and Criminal Court. Clark said McCoig, 31, has been released on a $2,500 bond, and his arraignment has been set for 9 a.m. March 30.

“As a result of the initial report and the Sheriff’s Department internal affairs investigation, Dustin McCoig was separated from employment with the Sheriff’s Office prior to the matter being considered by the Grand Jury,” Clark said.

The internal affairs investigation was directed by Investigations Sergeant Jeff Davis.

“Of course I am disappointed that charges of this type have arisen from our local detention facility,” Clark said. “However, I am pleased at the response of the Sheriff’s Department in policing itself and bringing this case to my attention and ultimately to the Anderson County Grand Jury. It is critical that law enforcement hold itself to appropriate standards to ensure safety, justice, and to preserve public confidence in our criminal justice system.”