A blue wooden sign with golden engraved letters reads "City of Syracuse, Dept. of Police" on a green lawn outside of the police station downtown. A blue sky shines down on the scene.
Syracuse Police headquarters on South State Street in downtown Syracuse. Credit: Julie McMahon | Central Current

A Syracuse police officer has been accused of slapping a child and forcefully shoving the child’s face near “soiled bed sheets,” according to a police report filed in Town of Clay Court.

Jacob Ternosky, 33, was arrested by Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office deputies and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor, court records show.

The incident is not alleged to have happened while Ternosky was at work.

Ternosky was arrested April 12. The alleged incidents happened between Feb. 16 and April 9, according to court records.

Ternosky was placed on paid administrative leave by the department, according to a department spokesperson. The department will conduct an internal investigation, the spokesperson said.

Ternosky will remain on leave pending the results of his case and could face discipline from the department as a result of the investigation.

The Syracuse Police Department hired Ternosky in the spring of 2019.

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Chris Libonati is the managing editor of Central Current. He is a founding editorial member of the organization and was hired as Central Current's first reporter. He previously worked at the Syracuse Post-Standard...