Two more Cascade County detention officers were arrested in August.
Joshua Yellow Owl, a Cascade County Sheriff’s Office detention officer, was charged with misdemeanor counts of partner family member assault, causing injury, first offense; and tampering with a communication device.
According to the police affidavit, officers were told a male was assaulting a female and attempting to break her arm.
A witness reported seeing the assault from a nearby residence and told officers she saw Yellow Owl hit the female victim while she was screaming for help and honking the vehicle’s horn, Slaughter said.
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The victim was later located and told officers that Yellow Owl hit her in the face, causing a bloody nose; attempted to prevent her from calling 911 by throwing her phone and applied force to her arm in a way that caused severe pain.
The victim also reported that Yellow Owl had shoved her head against the passenger window. Officers noted visible injuries and blood on the victim’s clothing, Slaughter said.
The incident occurred inside a vehicle, Slaughter said, and when officers arrived on scene, they found Yellow Owl standing outside of a truck in the area.
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“These allegations are shocking and completely unacceptable. They go against everything we stand for at the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office. While the Great Falls Police Department is handling the criminal investigation, I want to be clear: we hold our employees to the highest standards at all times, on or off duty. Mr. Yellow Owl has been placed on administrative leave immediately, and we will thoroughly review this internally as well. Domestic violence has no place in our community, and anyone who engages in it will be held fully accountable,” Slaughter said. “I’m not happy about this.”
GFPD is investigating the incident.
Slaughter said Yellow Owl has been placed on paid administrative leave as his office also conducts an internal investigation and goes through the disciplinary processes included in their collective bargaining agreements.
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Yellow Owl had worked as a detention officer for more than two years, Slaughter said.
Yellow Owl was being held in the Chouteau County jail and the case is being handled in Great Falls Municipal Court as they’re misdemeanors within the city limits.
Another detention officer was cited in late August by GFPD with speeding, no insurance and a first offense DUI, Slaughter said.
He said that employee is not on administrative leave and that she is cooperating, but the case is still going through the criminal justice process and CCSO’s internal disciplinary process.
The two cases follow the arrest of Lloyde Ogden, Jr. earlier in August for PFMA and assault with a weapon.
Ogden is no longer employed by Cascade County, as confirmed by County Attorney Josh Racki.
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Slaughter said that he’s made leadership changes in the jail, naming Capt. Jon Kadner as the jail supervisor about two weeks ago, and is working with a psychological services agency to have a more robust assessment for new hires, but also as employees move into supervisory roles or are armed.
He said that none of the three detention officers had prior misconduct on the job before the August incidents that were off-duty.
He said he’s looking to increase qualifications and physical standards for detention officers, but it’s also challenging as the psychological services are expensive and they’re already short staffed, which has been an ongoing issue for years.
In recent years, the county has increase pay for detention officers and increased recruitment efforts, but Slaughter said the shortage hasn’t changed much, though it ebbs and flows and they’re currently down about 20 detention officers.
But that’s in part because a number of detention officers get hired as deputies at CCSO, Slaughter said.
