Former jail officer charged

BELFAST – A Waldo County corrections officer who was fired for assaulting an inmate and then erasing the video that recorded the incident has been charged with falsifying physical evidence.

Tron R. Hatch, 24, of Albion was charged as a result of the Dec. 21 incident at the county jail. It is a nonjail offense and Hatch is expected to plead guilty and be assessed a fine at his March 22 arraignment, according to a member of District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau’s staff.

Hatch did not injure the inmate, but his attempt to cover up the assault resulted in his being dismissed in late January. A second officer who was present when Hatch erased the tape was placed on suspension after an internal investigation by Sheriff Scott Story and his supervisory staff.

The complaint against Hatch says that he acted to destroy evidence after “believing that an official proceeding or an official criminal investigation” could be instituted as a result of his actions toward the male inmate.

The complaint further states that Hatch “did alter, destroy, conceal or remove” information relevant to the investigation with “the intent to impair its verity, authenticity or availability” to investigative procedures.

Story announced his decision to dismiss Hatch on March 1. He said at the time that he was bound by state law to keep the matter confidential until the required appeal period had passed. He said he was “disappointed” with the guard’s behavior, but said he was insistent that his officers either abide by the regulations or suffer the consequences.

“This was a situation where the proper handling of an outside complaint led to a proper investigation and appropriate disposition,” Story said.