Sheriff says investigation clears deputy in St. Albans incident

The Franklin County sheriff's office says an investigation clears their deputy of any involvement in a St. Albans incident in which a woman was punched in the face by a police officer.

We told you about the incident in March where Amy Connelly was hit at the station by Sgt. Jason Lawton of the St. Albans police. Lawton was later fired.

The St. Albans police chief said then-Ofc. Michael Ferguson also saw it happen and didn't report it. Ferguson quit before he could be fired and took a job with the Franklin County sheriff's department.

The sheriff's department put him on administrative leave after the St. Albans incident went public. But they now say their inquiry found Ferguson didn't actually witness the punch and he claimed he thought she got the black eye from a bar fight.

The sheriff's department says Ferguson has been reinstated.