The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy is accused of slapping an inmate and is charged with mistreatment of a confined prisoner.

This happened January 30 while an inmate was in a holding cell before being taken to a court appointment. Sheriff Jeff Easter says the inmate was rubbing his restraints against a wall and refused to stop. This is when a deputy entered the cell and allegedly pushed and slapped the inmate.

Sheriff Easter says other deputies reported this and the Wichita Police Department investigated. This led to a charge against 47-year-old Matthew Stineman in state court. Easter says Stineman is on restricted duty, which keeps him working but out of contact with inmates and the public, until the case against him is decided. Easter says the Sheriff’s Office is still understaffed and he doesn’t like putting people on paid leave for them to just sit at home, which is why the deputy is doing office work. According to Easter, this decision is made on a case-by-case basis and depends on what the deputy is accused of.

Easter said the incident is out of character for the deputy, and there have been no previous issues with him in the past.

The inmate was checked out and reported to be okay, and he was able to make his court appointment.