WATCH: Manatee Corrections Deputy Accused Of Punching Inmate

BRADENTON, FL — An internal investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office has concluded that a corrections deputy used excessive force on an inmate at the Manatee County Jail earlier this month. Corrections Deputy Louis Valentin resigned before the investigation was completed.

“This is not how our deputies are trained, and this type of behavior will not be tolerated at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office," said Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells in announcing the findings Friday. "Standards are in place to prevent incidents like this from happening, but when a deputy or employee fails to follow our rules they will face consequences for their actions, to include termination and criminal prosecution."

The sheriff's office said the 34-year-old Valentin was allegedly captured on video punching the handcuffed inmate in the disciplinary pod exercise yard. The incident occurred around 1 a.m. on Aug. 4 and was reported to Professional Standards.

Watch the surveillance video below courtesy of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office:

"Facing termination and possible charges of battery, Valentin resigned on 08/08/19 before the investigation was completed," said the sheriff's office. Valentin was hired as a Corrections Deputy on Dec. 18, 2015. He was assigned to jail operations.

“Recently, there has been a pattern of abusive conduct among a small percentage of the approximately 300 corrections employees, of which those four have been criminally charged," explained Wells. "This culture has been identified, and all deputies in our Corrections Bureau are currently going through additional training.”

The internal findings with respect to Valentin have been forwarded to the State Attorney's Office in Manatee County, which will decide whether to bring criminal charges against the former deputy. The inmate was identified as Lashard McCullough.

"Deputy Valentin claimed this strike was reactionary due to McCullough spitting on him, which McCullough adamantly denied," stated the internal investigative report of the incident. "The incident was captured on video by a jail surveillance camera situated directly in front of the exercise yard door. McCullough did not sustain any injuries to his face due to the strike."