PORTLAND, Ore. — Video released Wednesday shows a Washington County Sheriff’s Office jail deputy attacking a suspect and slamming him to the ground during a 2018 jail booking.
The deputy, Rian Alden, was indicted June 5 on one count of first-degree official misconduct, a misdemeanor, in connection with the attack.
The incident was investigated in 2018 by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police. No charges were filed.
On May 31, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said it received an email alleging Alden had used racist language in an email from 2003. The sheriff’s office put Alden on administrative leave and opened a personnel investigation, and the Washington County District Attorney’s Office reopened the criminal case against Alden.
“Given new information available in this case, I understand and support the District Attorney’s decision to present the evidence to a grand jury," said Sheriff Pat Garrett on June 5.
The video of the attack was released Wednesday by Albert Molina’s attorneys. It shows the 45-year-old Molina, who was arrested on March 30, 2018 for riding a bicycle while drunk, posing and saluting during a booking photo at the jail.
The video does not include audio, but Alden can be seen pointing at Molina while the two exchange words. After that, Alden charges at Molina, slams him into a wall and takes him to the ground.
Molina suffered skull fractures and bleeding of the brain, his attorneys said. He spent 19 days in a hospital, including five days in intensive care, at a cost of about $130,000.
"I've been practicing law a long time, I've seen a lot of videos, I've seen people die in videos, there was a viciousness to this that was unique," attorney Greg Kafoury said.
"This is a Washington County case but pretty much anywhere you look it's the same thing, police officers can get away with just about anything," he said.
The case against Alden will be resubmitted to a grand jury at the end of this month, at which time evidence of second-degree assault, a Measure 11 crime, will be presented.
In a statement released Wednesday, Sheriff Garrett acknowledged the need to improve and evaluate use of force tactics and pledged to listen to the community.
Read the full statement below.