A Vicksburg police officer is under investigation following allegations that he assaulted a handcuffed prisoner.

Officer Clay Griffin was suspended without pay Wednesday by the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen pending a termination hearing. Officials refused to discuss specifics, but said they expect to take further action at the board meeting on Feb. 10.

“We’re conducting an investigation concerning an issue of conduct on the part of Officer Griffin concerning a man in the custody of the police department,” said Police Chief Tommy Moffett. “It is a personnel matter and at this junction we haven’t completed the investigation, and I’m not going to say anything else about it.”

Moffett refused to disclose the name of the reported victim and would not say why the person was in custody. Moffett did say no charges have been filed against Griffin.

Contacted later at home, Griffin referred all questions to his attorney, Travis T. Vance Jr., who said any disciplinary action against Griffin by the city would be appealed.

Vance said Griffin had been the only court services officer, who transported up to 10 prisoners about three times per week from court to jail, for the past year. Previously, two officers had always been assigned to that duty.

According to his lawyer, Griffin was verbally harassed by the man in police custody who threatened to assault Griffin’s wife and daughter.

“This guy cussed Clay … and got all up in his face. Clay simply got him out of the cell and tried to straighten him up, but never hurt him. Clay even went to his supervisor himself and reported it,” Vance said. “This young man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Moffett said the man in police custody did not require medical treatment.

Mayor Laurence Leyens said he had not seen the entire case yet, but that as far as he knew Griffin had never been in trouble before.

“But if this is true, it simply cannot and will not be tolerated,” Leyens said.

Lamar Horton, director of the city’s human resources department, also said Griffin, who has been with the police department since 1987, has a good record with the city.

“This guy’s been here 17 1/2 years and it’s the most uneventful file I’ve ever seen,” Horton said.