Jury Clears Former Corrections Officer of Abuse Charges

A former southeast Missouri prison worker accused of abusing an inmate has been found not guilty.

The Daily Journal newspaper in Park Hills, Missouri reports that a St. Francois County jury deliberated for just 45 minutes Thursday before ruling on behalf of 37-year-old David Shipley of Farmington.

Shipley, formerly a corrections officer at the state prison in Bonne Terre, was charged by the Missouri Attorney General's office in 2014. He was accused of using excessive force after an inmate had to be restrained.

Shipley's attorney, Jason Tilley, says Shipley's actions were consistent with the law and policies of the Missouri Department of Corrections.