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Man Who Claims Abuse In Jail Arrested Again

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 4, 2008

  Audie Grogg

TAMPA - Audie Grogg, who says a Hillsborough County detention deputy abused him while he was an inmate early this year, was arrested today on a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

Today's incident began when a deputy pulled Grogg over after seeing him driving a 1982 Kawasaki motorcycle at 85 mph in a 45-mph zone on Knights Griffin Road, deputies say. Grogg pulled two 9 1/2-inch knives from concealed sheaths under his shirt and behind a fanny pack, a criminal arrest affidavit states.

Grogg yelled "What do you want?" to the deputy, who pulled out a gun and told Grogg to drop the knives, according to the affidavit.

Grogg threw the knives at the ground in the deputy's direction and refused to comply with the deputy's orders, the affidavit states. Grogg was arrested about 9 a.m.

Grogg was charged with two counts of carrying a concealed weapon and one count each of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, driving with a suspended license, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer without violence.

He remained in Orient Road Jail, with bail set at $11,750.

His attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

In June, Grogg's attorney filed a notice saying Grogg intends to sue because of a jail incident early this year. Jail video shows Grogg swung a crutch in the direction of a detention deputy and that the deputy took him to the ground immediately afterward.

Grogg's attorney, Virlyn B. Moore, said in June that the crutch never made contact with the deputy. Grogg was initially charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, but that charge was dropped, Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi said.

Grogg, 52, had been in jail on a charge of carrying a concealed firearm, Moore said.

Grogg was carrying a flare gun and it was not concealed, Bondi said in June. The arrest report stated that detectives clearly saw the flare gun, she said.

In June, Hillsborough sheriff's Col. David Parrish declined to comment on the incident, saying he couldn't because of Grogg's intent to sue. Parrish said he saw video of the incident and that "We'd have taken some action if we thought there was any issue, so we'll see him in court."

In February, surveillance video was released showing quadriplegic inmate Brian Sterner being dumped from a wheelchair by a detention deputy who was trying to search him.

The video made national news, and word of other peoples' claims of mistreatment behind bars in Hillsborough County surfaced.

An independent review commission, charged with studying the policies, practices and procedures at the county's two jails, is expected to release a final report Wednesday.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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