No charges for deputy who punched homeless person in Detroit

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A Marion County sheriff’s deputy caught on video repeatedly punching a homeless person while taking them into custody June 4 won’t face criminal charges.

The Marion County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Friday that Deputy Jacob Thompson’s use of force was justified because it was either necessary to make an arrest or in self-defense.

The case review included interviews with 18 witnesses and reports from deputies involved in the arrest, but it’s unclear if Tessa Lovelace, the person hit and arrested, was among those spoken to by authorities.

Lovelace was cited for interfering with a police officer and resisting arrest during the encounter in Detroit and released to the Psychiatric Crisis Center in Salem. The district attorney’s office says it won’t prosecute Lovelace.

The sheriff’s office says Thompson will remain on a non-patrol assignment while the agency conducts an investigation.