WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Florida deputy accused of bashing a handcuffed inmate's head against a wall and kneeing him in the face has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
An indictment returned Tuesday charges 46-year-old Palm Beach County deputy William D. Wheeler with deprivation of rights and falsification of records. He was arrested in February and placed on paid leave.
Prosecutors say the assault took place in October 2013 when Wheeler was assigned to a county jail in Belle Glade.
They say he put his hands around the handcuffed man's neck, struck his head against the wall, pulled him to the floor and kneed him in the face. Prosecutors say he then lied about it in a report.
Wheeler's attorney did not respond to a call and email requesting comment.
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