Two corrections officers at the Broome County Correctional Facility were suspended without pay following the launch of an ongoing investigation involving the unnecessary use of force on an incarcerated individual.

On July 23, the officers responded to an incident where an inmate refused to return to his cell and verbally threatened suicide, according to a press release from the Broome County Sheriff’s Office. The individual was then taken to the medical unit for observation. In a video released by Sheriff Fred Akshar, one officer was shown forcefully leading the inmate to the medical unit lobby, where another officer, identified as James A. Woodard, 39, of Windsor, New York, hit the inmate and applied a “gooseneck” wrist restraint — where the wrist is forcibly pushed into hyperflexion toward the top of the forearm — on him while he was seated in handcuffs.

The sheriff’s office found that the physical force was “unnecessary and contrary to office policy,” as well as Article 35 of the state Penal Law, which establishes when corrections officers are authorized to use force.

Woodard was charged with official misconduct and second-degree harassment following the initial investigation, and he and the other officer, who has yet to be named, were immediately suspended without pay.

“My expectations since Day One in this office have been that our Corrections Officers treat all incarcerated individuals in our care with dignity and respect, adhering to the highest standards of the practice put forth by the Office of the Sheriff and the letter of the law,” Akshar said in the press release. “Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, our officers put on the uniform and put their lives on the line to protect and honorably serve their community, but on the day in question, two officers failed to do their jobs. We were shocked and disappointed by the conduct we witnessed, because the actions taken during this incident have no place in our Correctional Facility and in no way reflect the good work performed daily by our officers for the past 19 months and beyond.”

The case was reported to the Office of the New York State Attorney General and the Commission of Correction, which meet regularly to discuss issues surrounding local and state correctional facilities. The sheriff’s office shared that Akshar and Undersheriff Sammy Davis have addressed the incident with nearly every corrections officer at the facility, with all staff set to participate in a “formal training review on Use of Force, De-escalation and Duty to Intervene.”

Andrew Pragacz, president of the activist group Justice and Unity for the Southern Tier and an adjunct professor of sociology at Binghamton University, said the physical conduct shown in the released video is evidence of a clear pattern of excessive force used in the jail.

“There’s nothing in that video, there’s nothing in what was said that makes me think that this was a unique happening,” Pragacz said. “I think it’s routine. It’s normalized, and I think that anyone who watched that video could walk away with the same impression that I do when I see it. This is not transparency. This is the appearance of transparency at best. There’s still a lot we don’t know about this case.”

The case is the latest in legal proceedings against Broome County corrections officers for misconduct. Last fall, Taej’on Vega, who was beaten and called racial slurs by officers, won a federal lawsuit against the jail last year. Makyyla Holland, a transgender woman who was subjected to an illegal strip search and denied access to her medication, reached a $160,000 settlement with Broome County. Pragacz suggested measures designed to improve jail oversight might reduce similar incidents, highlighting a proposed bill that would allow state and county legislators to visit local correctional facilities unannounced with accompanying staff.
Akshar emphasized the importance of transparency in his office’s interactions with the broader community.

“We pledged to be open, honest and transparent with the people of this community, and for 19 months, we’ve fortunately had nothing but good news to report,” Akshar said. “Going forward, the men and women of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office will continue to hold ourselves to the highest standard every day. As much as it pains me to report on an incident when two of our officers failed to meet that standard, when someone does something wrong, we must take every appropriate measure to do what’s right.”