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Richmond officer appeals demotion for handcuffing man to bed

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) – An eastern Indiana police officer demoted for handcuffing a man in his custody to a hospital bed and then returning to patrol is appealing his punishment.

The Palladium-Item reports Richmond police officer Neal VanMiddlesworth was demoted from sergeant to patrolman in December following an internal department investigation of the handcuffing incident.

Police Chief Kris Wolski says the officer brought a man who was too intoxicated to be jailed to Richmond’s Reid Hospital for evaluation. VanMiddlesworth then handcuffed the man to a hospital bed and returned to his patrol duties.

Wolski says the handcuffs hampered the hospital’s ability to provide adequate medical attention to the man.

Richmond’s Police Merit Commission will hold a hearing Monday on VanMiddlesworth’s appeal before ruling on the matter.

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