Michigan jail sergeant bound over for trial after allegedly macing restrained woman repeatedly
HILLSDALE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A man will stand trial after allegedly macing a woman repeatedly while he was working as a sergeant inside the Hillsdale County Jail in 2021.
Ronald Leggitt, 43, of Marshall, was charged with one count of misconduct in office and six counts of assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from the December 2021 assault. He waived his preliminary examination on Wednesday, so the case now moves to trial.
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Leggitt was supervising operations and staff when the woman was brought into the jail. Staff at the jail were told that the woman had resisted officers during the arrest, and during the booking process at the jail she allegedly continued to exhibit resistant and disruptive behavior.
Over the course of 80 minutes, Leggitt is accused of macing the woman in the face at close range five times. Four of those five times, she was secured in an emergency restraint chair; restrained in wrist and ankle cuffs and a chest restraint.
"Law enforcement officers have an obligation to protect the physical safety of those within their custody," said Nessel when announcing the charges. "When their conduct stoops to criminality, we must take such allegations very seriously. My department prioritizes matters of public integrity and will continue to hold those who violate the rule of law accountable."