(LANSING) – A former Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Sergeant has plead guilty to two charges.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says 44 year old Ronald Leggitt of Marshall plead guilty Tuesday to a charge of misconduct in office which is a five year felony, and a count of aggravated assault, a one year misdemeanor. As part of the plea, Leggitt has relinquished his MCOLES certification, which is a requisite for employment as a police officer in Michigan.

In the early morning hours of December 16th, 2021, a woman was brought into custody at the Hillsdale County jail, where Leggitt was supervising operations and staff. Staff at the jail were informed the woman had resisted officers during the arrest. At the jail, she continued to exhibit resistant and disruptive behavior.

Over the course of 80 minutes, Leggitt assaulted the inmate six times with mace, spraying the chemical irritant into her face from a distance of mere inches. During five of the six assaults, the victim was secured in an emergency restraint chair, where she was restrained in wrist and ankle cuffs as well as a chest restraint.

Leggitt will be sentenced on January 29, 2025, in Jackson County Circuit Court.