Jury acquits Sheridan police officer of assault
Shawn Ralph, a Sheridan police officer who put his hand on the throat of a female shoplifting suspect during an arrest in 2021, was cleared of assault charges by a jury Friday.
Ralph was found not guilty of 3rd Degree Assault at the end of the four-day trial. Charges of Attempted 2nd Degree Assault-Strangulation, a Class 6 felony, and Official Misconduct, a petty offense, were dismissed by the court during the trial's last day, according to online court records.
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Ralph, 51, and other officers responded to a 7-Eleven store at 3495 South Federal Boulevard on September 3, 2021, according to court documents. There, Ralph approached a woman, Benni Montano. The store owner told officers that Montano had stolen several items from the store.
While Montano was in handcuffs, she allegedly tried to spit on the store owner, according to the arrest affidavit. Her saliva allegedly hit Ralph in the eye instead.
Another officer wrote "Officer Ralph grabbed Montano's right arm and put his left hand around her throat and took her to the ground while saying, 'F-----g spit on me.'"
The woman -- who had an active felony warrant for her arrest -- said she hit her head on the ground and received medical treatment.
In a statement, Ralph said "To prevent continuous spitting and contamination, I reached for Benni's mouth with my gloved hand. Benni moved backward as I tried to cover her mouth, making my hand slip from her mouth and onto her chin."
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Court records show that while the incident occurred Sept. 3, Ralph was arrested on Sept. 14 and was released on bond.
The Sheridan Police Department, in a press release late Friday afternoon, stated that Ralph has been on administrative leave since the incident. He will return to work, but the department did not provide a time frame.
SPD did state that an internal investigation into the incident will now be conducted and the department will "take appropriate action based upon the outcome of the investigation."
Montano pleaded guilty to a charge of petty theft in June of 2022 as a result of the arrest.
