Deputy fired for use of excessive force - WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren Ohio

A deputy at the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department was fired for using excessive force.  

Sheriff Jerry Greene told 21 News that it's behavior that won't be tolerated.

Zach Pasco was officially terminated on Monday after an investigation determined that an altercation with an inmate involved force that was deemed to be excessive.

Deputy Sheriff Pasco's actions were caught on tape in early July by a camera inside the jail.

In the video, Deputy Pasco is in a jail area as four inmates return to their cells.  

Two of the prisoners split off into a classroom without permission, according to Sheriff Greene, and Deputy Pasco appeared to have words with one of the inmates, who was later determined to be 63-year-old Frank Musolino.  

In a matter of seconds, you see Musolino's arm go up, but it's unclear if he was taking a fighting stance or trying to protect himself as Deputy Pasco approached him.  

In the video, you see inmate Musolino's body fly up in the air and get thrown towards the ground.

"That's when our deputy pursued or closed the gap on him and for lack of a better term, used a body slam on the individual, and he landed on his face and his chest," Sheriff Greene said.

The inmate was motionless on the floor.  

Sheriff Greene says Musolino, who is in jail for theft and obstruction, was so seriously injured, he was hospitalized for four days.

Deputy Pasco lost his job, according to the sheriff, because he had other options if he believed the inmate was trying to assault or attack him.

"It's a liability to the taxpayers, it's a liability to my office and we just can't tolerate that," said Sheriff Greene. 

BCI is investigating to see if criminal charges are warranted in this case.

Pasco was in trouble before for punching someone at a restaurant while off duty.  

The sheriff gave him two weeks off and ordered him to take anger-management counseling.

Under his collective bargaining contract, Pasco does have the right to appeal to try and get his job back.