A state prison sergeant named in an excessive use of force lawsuit in 2018 was booked into the Pinal County jail Thursday evening after being arrested on multiple felonies including sexual assault and kidnapping, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR).
Jason McClelland, a correctional sergeant assigned to the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence, was taken into custody following “collaborative efforts” by ADCRR’s Criminal Investigations Unit and the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, the statement reads.
“The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry does not tolerate inappropriate conduct by its staff or offenders under supervision, and supports prosecution to the fullest extent of the law,” the statement added.
Court records show McClelland was one of three ADCRR employees named as defendants in an $8.5 million federal civil rights action filed by a male inmate in 2018. The inmate claimed he suffered a broken collarbone as the result of excessive use of force by prison staff.
A district judge dismissed the case in August 2019 at the request of state prison officials.
Additional details about McClelland’s arrest are expected to be available Friday after his initial court appearance.
