A former Blount County Jail corrections sergeant has been indicted in the alleged assault of an inmate following an excessive force investigation.

A Blount County grand jury issued a two-count indictment against Deputy Joseph Ray Snow, 43, on Jan. 26, according to court records made public Wednesday.

Snow is charged with second-degree assault with serious injury, a felony, and failure of duty or violation of law by guard…of convicts, which is a misdemeanor.

The latter charge is defined by state law as “any guard or any person having the charge, management or control of any convict who fails to discharge any of the duties imposed upon him by law or in any other way violates any of the provisions of law regulating or governing the inspection, treatment, confinement, working or guarding or the charge, management or control of convicts, state or county, when no other punishment is provided for such failure in duty or violation of law, must, on conviction, be fined not more than $1,000, and may also be imprisoned in the county jail or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for not more than 12 months.”

The inmate was not fully identified in court records, nor did charging documents detail the nature or date of the alleged assault. It reportedly happened during the booking process.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Efforts to obtain comments from ALEA were not immediately successful.

Court records did not yet list an attorney to comment on Snow’s behalf.

Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon said the incident happened in late 2022 when the man was brought to the jail on a public intoxication charge. He said the suspect was somewhat disorderly but did nothing that merited an assault.

Moon said it appeared Snow “snapped.”

He did not elaborate on the assault but said, “We have no idea what happened. Obviously, it violated our policy and everything we stand for.”

Moon said he asked ALEA to come in and investigate. The sheriff said the assault was captured on jail security videos.

Snow was immediately put on leave following the incident and then fired almost immediately.

Snow’s mugshot was not listed on the online Blount County Jail inmate log. Moon said there was a technical problem uploading the mugshot online but did provide AL.com with the photo.

Moon said federal authorities are also investigating for a possible civil rights violation.

Snow was booked into the Blount County Jail at 10:03 a.m. Tuesday and released at 10:32 a.m. Court records indicate his bond was set at $30,000.

His arraignment is set for June.