A supervisor at a western Arkansas juvenile treatment center faces a criminal charge after he allegedly forced a handcuffed teenager to the ground by kicking him after breaking up an inmate fight Sunday evening.
The Sebastian County sheriff’s office said deputies arrested 25-year-old Caleb Davis of Huntington after responding to a fight that broke out before 6:30 p.m. at the Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Center.
While at the facility, deputies saw Davis kick a teen in the thigh to force him to the ground while the youth was in handcuffs, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities said Davis is charged with third-degree battery, a misdemeanor.
The sheriff’s office said Davis identified himself as the staff supervisor on duty that night.
[RELATED: An Arkansas-Democrat-Gazette investigation into juvenile detention in Arkansas]
The Arkansas Department of Human Services said Davis was on paid administrative leave Monday, pending the outcome of an investigation.
He has worked at the Mansfield facility since August 2018, department spokeswoman Amy Webb said, adding that Davis has had de-escalation and other intervention training in the past.
“If staff are found to have used unauthorized techniques or physical interventions, the staff will face discipline up to and including termination,” Webb said.
The fight started between several inmates, and at least one staff member was hurt, the sheriff's office said. No one needed to be hospitalized, officials said.
Authorities said they charged a 16-year-old boy with battery and a 14-year-old girl who deputies allege was trying to escape from the center.
The center had 38 juveniles at the facility Sunday evening with nine staff members on duty, according to DHS.
Davis was free on $1,000 bond Monday after being booked into the Sebastian County jail, the sheriff’s office said.