A former state correctional officer is accused of assaulting a handcuffed inmate.
Reports say a criminal complaint filed Monday by Maricopa County prosecutors charges 23-year-old Jason Alexander Cardenas with aggravated assault on a victim who was bound or restrained.
Court documents say Cardenas on June 27 picked up the inmate and slammed him to ground at the Lewis state prison complex in Buckeye while escorting the inmate from the recreational area to his cell.
Court records don't list an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
The Department of Corrections says it terminated Cardenas on July 31 and referred the case to the County Attorney's Office for criminal prosecution.
The department says the Arizona State Personnel Board will hear Cardenas' appeal of his termination on Dec. 20.
