Former Richland County corrections officer found not guilty over inmate's death

A jury found a former Richland County corrections officer not guilty of the death of Alexander Rios after deliberating for two-and-a-half hours Wednesday.

Mark Cooper, 57, was charged with one count of reckless homicide and two counts of involuntary manslaughter over Rios's death inside the Richland County Jail on September 19, 2019.

Cooper's retrial began April 17. In opening statements, the defense said Cooper used a "reasonable amount of force," and didn't cause Rios's death.

READ MORE: Prosecutor say former Richland Co. corrections officer "crushed" inmate to death, defense says force was necessary

One of Cooper's attorneys, James Mayer, said his client felt a "sense of relief" after the verdict was read and looks forward to moving on with his life.

Cooper was one of several corrections officers who subdued Rios after he ran out of his holding cell at the jail.

He was charged after a video revealed his role in Rios' death.

At two minutes and 45 seconds into the video, Cooper, who had placed his right foot on Rios's right shoulder blade, lifts his left foot off the ground. The officer's full body weight was on Rios for seven seconds.

At some point in the video, Rios becomes unconscious. He never regained consciousness. His family removed him from life support a week later.

Richland County Common Pleas Judge Brent Robinson declared a mistrial during his first trial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict in November 2023.

News 5 reached out to the Ohio Attorney General's Office, which tried the case.

A spokesperson sent us the following statement:

"The jury was presented with the facts of the case, which stemmed from BCI's thorough investigation of the in-custody death. We appreciate the jury's service and respect its decision."

In full transparency, BCI's investigative case file will be posted on our website for anyone to view. Here is a link to the webpage: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/SpecialPages/Investigative-Documents [ohioattorneygeneral.gov] .