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A Merced County Sheriff’s Office deputy with a troubled history and a misdemeanor conviction was charged Wednesday with assault for repeatedly kicking a DUI suspect in the head numerous times, authorities said.

Dustin Witt, 42, a former sergeant, was booked for assault by a public officer and other charges for the March 11 incident. He resigned in June amid an internal affairs investigation.

Ex-Merced County sheriff's deputy Dustin Witt

Ex-Merced County sheriff’s deputy Dustin Witt (Merced County Sheriff’s Department)

“It breaks my heart to have to share this incident with you, but rest assured this is not something I take lightly,” Sheriff Vern Warnke said. “I want to be clear that this incident was isolated and does not reflect the actions of the rest of our agency.”

The charges stemmed from an encounter caught on body-camera video with a man named Louis Jackson, who was arrested following a crash in which he was suspected of driving under the influence, according to the Merced County district attorney’s office. Witt responded to the scene, though he was not the first officer to arrive.