CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — More than three years after video captured a Ross County jail administrator attacking an inmate in a stairwell, the former official remains uncharged with any state or federal crime, despite his termination and an investigation that has drawn inquiries from the Scioto Valley Guardian to multiple agencies.
William “Bill” White, then a major and jail administrator for the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, was fired shortly after the Feb. 9, 2023, incident involving inmate Ronnie Pettiford Jr. became public. Surveillance footage from the stairwell, released after news media requests.
As detailed in an incident report, Pettiford Jr., was being moved by three jail staff members to a new location within the facility. Pettiford, who was incarcerated for charges including obstructing justice, theft, and probation violation, expressed his discontent to the workers, stating he was unhappy about being reassigned to a pod where he had encountered problems before, the report states.
That is when things escalated into a physical restraint, as per the incident report. The security camera video, which lacked audio, depicted Pettiford not engaging in any actions that would justify the ensuing confrontation. Instead, the footage showed White suddenly advancing on Pettiford in a stairwell, forcefully shoving him against one wall and then another.
The report goes on to describe how Pettiford fell to the floor, at which point another jail staff member attempted to control him by holding his arm. White, however, escalated the situation by dragging his boot across Pettiford’s face. Despite attempts by the colleague to give Pettiford directives to roll over, White inflicted two kicks to Pettiford’s midsection and then drove his knee into Pettiford’s left ribs.
According to the report, Pettiford, struggling for breath, exclaimed he was “sorry” and “done.” White then maneuvered him onto his stomach, pinning him down and forcing his arm up towards his head. The situation further deteriorated when the jail administrator intervened, pushing the other staff member aside and into a wall, before delivering a punch to Pettiford’s head as he lay restrained on the concrete floor.
Sheriff George Lavender referred the matter to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for an independent probe and said misconduct would not be tolerated regardless of rank. White has not faced criminal charges in the years since.
The Guardian has pressed for answers from the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio attorney general’s office and the FBI about the status of any investigation or potential prosecution. Only the FBI has responded. “As a matter of DOJ policy, we are unable to confirm or deny the existence of a potential investigation,” a spokesperson said Wednesday.
In December 2024, Ross County Prosecutor Jeff Marks told the Guardian: “It is my understanding that BCI is the party handling the investigation and any subsequent prosecution out of this occurrence.” Mark reiterated that this week and said he has not heard from BCI.
BCI has refused to comment on the matter.
The lack of charges stands in contrast to a similar case in neighboring Pike County. In 2019, deputy Jeremy C. Mooney pepper-sprayed and punched a restrained inmate 11 times in the head while the man was secured in a restraint chair and posed no threat. Mooney was convicted in federal court of violating the inmate’s civil rights. In March 2024 he was sentenced to 100 months — more than eight years — in prison. His supervisor, Sgt. William Stansberry Jr., who failed to intervene, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison. The FBI investigated that case.
The Guardian will continue asking the tough questions and holding officials accountable.
