Deputy Arrested, Fired After Choking Teen

Pasco County Detention Deputy Norman Grant is in hot water after sheriff’s officials say he choked a teen inmate in the Land O’ Lakes Jail’s medical wing in late June.

Grant was arrested July 5 and charged with simple child abuse following the June 20 incident. He was also fired from his post, according to sheriff's office spokesman Doug Tobin.

The incident that led to Grant's arrest and termination unfolded June 20 around 5:30 p.m. when a 16-year-old male inmate was moved to the medical wing. The teen was placed in a restraint chair after he kept banging his head on a cell door, according to the arrest report. 

Once in the medical wing, the teen loosened the straps on the restraint chair with his legs. Grant came in to tighten the restraints. As he was doing so, the teen told “Deputy Grant that he was making the restraints too tight and pushed his legs out to prevent him from making them tighter,” the report said. “Deputy Grant then grabbed his neck with his left hand and choked him to the point where he could not breathe.”

The teen subsequently told other jail officials Grant whispered, “Stop, or I’ll break your neck," the arrest report said.

The teen later spoke with a counselor at the jail and told her about the choking incident. When she observed an abrasion on the boy’s chin and redness on his neck, an investigation was launched.

Jail surveillance video recorded the incident, the report said.

“The camera clearly showed (the teen) sitting in the restraint chair and Deputy Grant grabbing his neck with his left hand, squeezing his neck, reapplying his grip and squeezing again and pulling the inmate’s head toward him.”

Booking information was not readily available, but the arrest report indicates Grant, who lives in Port Richey, was charged with child abuse.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said Grant " Grant does not represent the 1,300 employees at the Pasco Sheriff's Office. His actions were criminal, and he is no longer with us."