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Charles Wesley Wright faces battery charges and was fired from his position, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said.
BAKER COUNTY, Fla. — A Baker County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested Tuesday after an inmate complained the deputy hit him in the head while he was handcuffed, according to a release from the county’s sheriff.
The sheriff’s office says on Feb. 10, a man who is incarcerated at the Baker County Detention Center told jail administrative staff that he had been hit by Corrections Sgt. Charles Wesley Wright days before.
Wesley was put on administrative leave pending a criminal and internal investigation.
The BCSO Detective Division determined after reviewing facts and evidence that Wright had struck the victim in the head “for no apparent reason” while handcuffed.
Wright was arrested on battery charges following an interview with detectives, the sheriff’s office said.
Wright was fired after his arrest.
Sheriff Scotty Rhoden described the deputy’s behavior as “unlawful” and “inexcusable.”
“The safety of our inmates is our responsibility, and it is paramount,” Rhoden said. “Any allegations of abuse involving our staff will be fully investigated and like this case, if it is determined that our staff acted outside the scope of our policies or the law, they will be dealt with accordingly.”
Previous complaints at Baker County Detention Center
The Baker County Detention Center is also home to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, which has been the subject of civil rights complaints and allegations of misconduct.
In November 2024, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a civil rights complaint against the Baker County Detention Center, detailing claims that a female detainee was denied psychiatric care, harassed by staff and unnecessarily placed in solitary confinement.
Also in November 2024, a whistleblower report was released detailing allegations of unsanitary conditions and mistreatment of detainees inside the facility. The ICE facility is not punitive detention, meaning the detainees are not being held there while they await criminal prosecution.
The sheriff’s office is also named in an ongoing federal lawsuit filed in September 2022, alleging constitutional violations at the Baker County Detention Center.
First Coast News reached out to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office in November for a comment on the allegations. A spokesperson said they do not comment on pending litigation.
