All the pre-trial motions have been made and it is now time to go to court.

Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir, who has plead not guilty on charges of mistreatment of a confined person, will be in District Court on July 16 to face the level A misdemeanor charge that has been brought against him by the Barton County Attorney’s Office.

According court records, Bellendir is accused of “ill-treating a man in handcuffs by speaking to him in a vulgar, insulting, rude or angry manner” while serving an arrest warrant on August 10, 2017 in Great Bend. Bellendir is also accused of striking the confined man on the side of his head.

Brian Bellendir Audio

Bellendir, who began his law enforcement career in Barton County as a Sheriff’s Reserve Officer in 1981, says the last year has been a difficult one but says he is anxious for the case to finally be tried.

Brian Bellendir Audio

In Kansas, a Class-A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail with a fine of up to $2,500. A conviction could also mean desertification by the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training.

The man that Bellendir allegedly abused, is Nathan Manley of Ellinwood. According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, Manley has previous convictions for drugs and burglary.