Oregon deputy charged for slamming inmate in 2018

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. (KATU) – An Oregon deputy is facing felony charges for slamming a man into a wall during an arrest in 2018.

Rian Alden is being held on a $250,000 bond on of charges, including felony assault. The mother of the man he slammed hopes justice will be served.

Video footage is a big reason Rian Alden now faces felony charges according to Albert Molina’s attorneys. Molina’s mother, Esther Summerville, says she hopes it leads to Alden’s termination as well.

KATU News has learned about an email Alden is accused of sending in 2003. In it, the sender uses several derogatory terms for people of Mexican descent.

Molina’s mother says her son’s race motivated Alden’s behavior. She’s relieved Alden is finally facing charges. However, the video is still hard for her to watch.

When asked what she thought after seeing the video, Summerville said, “I cried because that’s this little kid, he’s grown, but I see him as a little kid, and he’s getting beat up, and he didn’t do anything, and he couldn’t even defend himself. That’s not right.”

The county says Alden has a right to his job pending a trial. When asked why taxpayers should continue to pay him, the county has not given a specific reason.

Molina’s mother says the actions in the video should be enough to terminate him.

The sheriff’s office says Alden is on paid leave because this is an active criminal investigation and it has to be respectful of the court process. But that can be re-evaluated as the situation evolves.

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