Charges dropped against Nashville corrections officer accused of strangling inmate
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — All charges have been dropped against a Davidson County Sheriff’s Office correctional officer who was accused of strangling an inmate, according to paperwork filed in court on Thursday.
Bryson Hayes, 31, was arrested in December 2023 following claims that he had assaulted inmate, Franklin Caceres-Ortega, while moving him from his cell. A report from Hayes’ personnel file from the DCSO said the alleged assault happened after Caceres-Ortega spat on Hayes at least twice and called Hayes a racial slur.
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According to the documents, Hayes was accused of punching Caceres-Ortega, pushing him to the ground and putting him in a chokehold. Caceres-Ortega was later cleared by a medical team and charged with misdemeanor assault on a first responder, the DCSO said.
Hayes’ personnel file also revealed that he was charged with assault by the U.S. Army in 2015 before he became a corrections officer. However, the case was resolved through nonjudicial action, according to the records.
After the incident in December 2023, Hayes was charged with felony aggravated assault. He was also placed on administrative leave pending temporary transfer to a non-public safety position while the criminal case was pending.
At the time, the DCSO reported it would await conclusion of the court case to make further determination of Hayes’ employment status. The agency declined to comment after the charges were dismissed Thursday and said it will not be releasing any video footage from the incident.
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“Tennessee state law prohibits us from releasing surveillance video directly related to the security of a government building,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told News 2.
In an emailed statement, the Nashville District Attorney’s Office said the decision to dismiss the charges came after the video and facts were reviewed by several assistant district attorneys.
Their review of the case reportedly showed that the inmate was the primary aggressor. While both individuals were involved, they both have agreed that “dropping the charges against each other would be best,” the district attorney’s office explained.
Any future disciplinary action against the guard will be up to the sheriff’s office.
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