Lorain County Corrections Officer Brian Tellier has been suspended with pay after allegedly breaking an inmate’s neck in 2023, according to the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 12, 2023, 59-year-old Jeff Fry walked into the Lorain County Jail with a misdemeanor bench warrant and left on a stretcher.
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News 5 spoke with Fry in October 2023, who said he had not paid his fine and, at the time, he was homeless. The report said Fry was under the influence of alcohol but could walk.
Surveillance video inside the jail showed Fry being searched. Then, as Tellier walked Fry through the jail’s sallyport area, the video showed Fry, who was handcuffed behind his back, briefly turn away from Tellier, who then appeared to grab Fry and fling him face-first toward a glass wall.
Fry was handcuffed and could not brace himself, resulting in his face and head hitting the base of the wall.
In Tellier’s report, he told supervisors because of the “risk of potential escape,” he "attempted to place Fry against the wall," but that Fry fell due to his intoxicated state. Additionally, an Elyria police officer who was near the pair when the incident happened reported, “it appeared as though Fry tripped over his own feet.”
In early 2024, Fry filed a $40 million lawsuit, naming the Elyria Police Department, the Lorain County Sheriff and Lifecare Ambulance as the defendants concerning the incident.
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Tellier was notified of the suspension last Saturday. The newly created corrections inspector general position in the sheriff's office will review the investigation thoroughly and either confirm the allegations or clear Tellier.
