WCSM Radio reports that Corrections Officer Tyler Bowman has been charged in Sidney Municipal Court with one count of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor. According to a November 10 statement cited by the station, investigators reviewed video after receiving an October 23 report of excessive force. Investigators say the footage shows Bowman delivering a meal tray without incident, then returning and arguing with the inmate, who pushed the tray through the food pass. Investigators say Bowman threw the tray down, closed the opening and walked away, then returned when the unlocked food pass opened again. They say he put his Taser through the opening and fired twice, striking the inmate. The statement says an internal review found Bowman violated the office's use-of-force and restraint policy, and he was placed on administrative leave. Administrative proceedings are ongoing, and he is presumed innocent.
Why it matters
The case shows an internal policy finding followed by a criminal charge after prosecutors reviewed jail video. Bowman is presumed innocent, and administrative proceedings continue.
Charged: Prosecutors filed criminal charges. A charge is not proof of guilt, and the person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Researched with AI assistance from the sources listed here and reviewed under our methodology.