Video: Inmate sues Clackamas County for excessive force in jail

CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. — Newly released video shows a violent confrontation between an inmate and a Clackamas County sheriff's sergeant, ending with the sergeant slamming the inmate's face into the ground. The incident is now the subject of a lawsuit against Clackamas County.

The video, captured in February 2023, shows what happened when deputies received Travis Barrett Craig in the booking area of ​​the Clackamas County Jail. Deputies had arrested Craig after a drunken fight at the Milwaukie Inn Hotel. Craig was injured during the incident, then was treated and released from a local hospital before being taken into custody.

The video shows Craig refusing orders, lying on the ground and refusing to get up. This led to deputies dragging him across the floor. Once up, cameras captured Craig spitting in the face of the Clackamas County sheriff's sergeant. James Williams.

Williams responded by repeatedly slamming Craig's head against a metal shelf, then knocking him head-first to the ground, fracturing Craig's eye socket. In the use of force report he wrote, Sgt. Williams wrote: “I was angry, shouting orders at Craig to stop fighting and to never spit in my face.”

Williams also wrote that Craig spat a large amount of saliva and blood in his face, noting that Craig had hepatitis C, which is transmissible through bodily fluids. In his report, Williams highlighted past incidents in which Craig allegedly spit in the faces of other deputies, causing them to go to the hospital.

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Records also show that on the night of the incident in question, before arriving at the jail, Craig spit in the face of officers who went to the Milwaukie Inn. For this, Craig was charged with aggravated harassment. He pleaded guilty and is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence.

As for what happened in the Clackamas County Jail booking area, a memo from the Clackamas County Prosecutor's Office says Sgt. Williams' use of force was reviewed and found to be consistent with the county's use of force policies. The prosecutor's office declined to prosecute Williams.

Craig is now suing Clackamas County and jail deputies, including Williams, for excessive force. The suit accuses the sheriff's office of sweeping its actions under the rug by not pursuing the case.

The lawsuit also points the finger at the sheriff's office for failing to submit jail videos showing the use of force when the case was initially submitted for review. The prosecutor's office said the omission should not have happened and asked the prison to fix the problem.

Craig and his attorney declined KGW's request for comment, as did Clackamas County.