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An Act Of Casual Cruelty Raises Suspicions About Jail
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Published: February 14, 2008
There is no excuse for the behavior captured on video at the Orient Road Jail: A deputy dumping a man out of his wheelchair as supervisors watch indifferently.
The disabled man flops helplessly on the ground, his clothes askew. No one runs over to see if he's all right. Rather, two deputies casually begin the process of patting him down, then flip him over to frisk the other side.
Sheriff David Gee, fortunately, makes no excuses. He has apologized. "I'm embarrassed," Gee says. "Common sense and human decency would tell you not to dump someone out of a wheelchair."
The sheriff's office has suspended the deputy without pay, and three supervisors, too. An investigation is under way to determine whether further punishment, even criminal charges, is justified.
But it's going to take more than suspensions and apologies to restore public confidence in a jail operation that has enjoyed a reputation for professionalism and efficiency.
Areas Gee should scrutinize:
•Why no training on how to frisk suspects in wheelchairs? Col. David Parrish, who oversees jail operations, says deputies are trained to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires disabled inmates to be assessed by a nurse upon admission. But deputies receive no specific training on how to frisk people in wheelchairs.
Parrish may be right that it should not be necessary to instruct someone "not to throw someone out of a wheelchair," but when a 22-year-veteran does just that, it indicates training protocols need to be far more rigorous.
• Has this happened before? Parrish says the jail handles hundreds of people in wheelchairs each year - it currently has 31 - and has never had anything remotely similar occur. But the deputy and supervisors in the video appear awfully relaxed about what's going on, suggesting such behavior is not out of the norm.
Gee's office should review the videos to determine whether other incidents have happened.
• Why didn't the supervisors report the incident? It occurred Jan. 29 when Brian Sterner, who was partially paralyzed in a 1994 wrestling accident, was booked for blocking an intersection with his vehicle and fleeing an officer.
Parrish and Gee didn't learn about the incident until a TV station reported Sterner's accusations this week. Were the supervisors trying to cover up the incident? Did they think it was no big deal? Only a thorough review will satisfy the community's concerns.
The deputy, who has a clean record, maintains she was "not wrong," but it's impossible to imagine any justification for her actions, even if she believed that Sterner was faking or was being abusive. Dropping a quadriplegic onto the floor risks serious injury to that person, especially when their limbs are rigid from atrophy.
Parrish pioneered direct supervision at the jail, which emphasizes humane treatment of inmates and allows one officer to oversee 64 prisoners at a time.
He seems genuinely distraught. "This goes against everything we teach," he says. "We try to normalize the treatment of people instead of shuttling them along like cattle. ... It doesn't matter what they did on the outside ... In here they are to be treated with dignity, like you would want your mother, father, sister or brother treated."
Admirable sentiments, but no one wants their family members treated as callously as Sterner was.
The Sheriff's Office needs to examine how this outrage occurred and ensure it never happens again.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( greenbeagle ) on February 14, 2008 at 6:23 a.m.
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Posted by ( JackNelsonSteward ) on February 14, 2008 at 6:39 a.m.
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Posted by ( JackNelsonSteward ) on February 14, 2008 at 6:58 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ( erj3 ) on February 14, 2008 at 7:04 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The Guards thought they'd gotten away with something they do regularly. Charge them and throw away the key. Can't wait to see those guards jackedup when there PRISONERS.....
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Posted by ( CrazyIvan ) on February 14, 2008 at 7:07 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Well put, Jack.
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Posted by ( ad ) on February 14, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
It is very hard to believe this is the first time this guard stepped out of line.
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Posted by ( preppyboyofIL ) on February 14, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Im sorry to sound a bit racist but if the tables were turned and those were white cops dumping an African American on the floor, then immediately the cops would have been fired, Jesse Jackson would have been down there screaming discrimination and there would be protests in the streets. Those cops should be treated the same as everyone else and be fired. There was no excuse for dumping this man on the floor.
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Posted by ( JackNelsonSteward ) on February 14, 2008 at 9:04 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
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Posted by ( jagaka2 ) on February 15, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
There is abuse in Orient Road Jail.
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Posted by ( jagaka2 ) on February 15, 2008 at 12:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
DogonHouse - you nailed it.
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Posted by ( jagaka2 ) on February 15, 2008 at 12:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Where is my post? There is abuse at Orient Road Jail.
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Posted by ( scotland2 ) on February 15, 2008 at 3:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
This deputy is a disgrace to all uniformed Law Enforcement Officers everywhere, we have brave men and women who give their lives to serve and protect us and it takes only one to do something like this to give them a bad name. She should be ashamed of herself and I don't want to hear about her great record of 22 years that blew right out of the window when the treatment Mr. Stenner received from her and other Deputies came to light.We listen and read about so many abhorent things that happen in this world and she has just added another one, she is a vile and inhumane person who does not deserve any respect, what a disgrace to her family and the uniform she wears.
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Posted by ( LongGone ) on February 15, 2008 at 8:37 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
This story needs to be retraced to the original incident. WHY was this determined to be a felony charge to someone with no priors who went an extra block.
My Theory:
TPD wanted Sterner charged with a F3 for eluding when they were maybe originally looking for a DUI arrest. Because they did not have the means for a DUI conviction, they penalized Sterner to the fullest extent of the law. That would set up a PTI, Pre-Trail Intervention for a first timer. Thus bringing in legal fees, supervision fees, and penalties all generating income for the government.
The State Atty's Office must have one heck of video evidence to go after Sterner.
Some more rocks need to be turned over.
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Posted by ( Kel ) on February 16, 2008 at 9:56 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
jagaka2 -
I'd ammed that statement to say 'There's more abuse going on at that jail and others in Hillsborough county'.
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Posted by ( Texasvette ) on February 17, 2008 at 3:56 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
just a question,,,how many wheelchair bound folks will be chosen to be on her trial that is to come? not many i expect.
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Posted by ( voxpopuli ) on February 20, 2008 at 5:36 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I copy EVERY comment here. Mine have never EVER been out of guidelines yet apparently are REPEATEDLY "accidentally" removed.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Posted by ( voxpopuli ) on February 20, 2008 at 5:38 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
LongGone,
OR maybe they just want his PROPERTY. That's why they stalk ME and MINE and terrorize, threaten and stalk others in my family.
Let's find out what he owns.
That's one rock to overturn.
AND, right ON for the rest of your comments.
They'll tell you right up front: It's ALL about THE MONEY.
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