A former chief deputy sheriff has been indicted by a federal grand jury for violating an inmate's civil rights.
Timothy Lassiter was charged this summer with assault inflicting serious injury and simple assault after an altercation took place in a courtroom involving inmate Troy Powell, Lassiter and Deputy Charles Reynolds. At the time Lassiter was chief deputy for the Hertford County Sheriff's Office.
Lassiter was suspended with pay after his arrest, but is now no longer with the Sheriff's Office.
The federal indictment claims Lassiter struck and assaulted Powell, who was in custody awaiting trial. It says the assault violated the inmate's due process rights.
If convicted, Lassiter would face a maximum 10 years in federal prison.
