Four corrections officers have been arrested and charged with the murder of an inmate in a Florida prison this February, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
“Staff misconduct, abuse or criminal behavior have no place in Florida’s correctional system. Individuals who are sentenced to incarceration by our criminal courts have lost their freedom but not their basic rights,” said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Inmates should not be subject to forms of ‘back alley’ justice which are actions in violation of Florida law.”
According to the FDLE, the inmate was being held at the mental health unit of Dade Correctional Institution (DCI) in Homestead, Fla., and was scheduled to be transferred to Lake Correction Institution (LCI) in Clermont, Fla., on Feb. 14. After he allegedly threw urine on DCI officers, they reportedly beat him so badly that “he had to be carried to the transport van,” even though he was in handcuffs and compliant with orders.
Once in the van, the inmate was put into a secure compartment by himself, according to authorities. While in transit to LCI, the vehicle stopped in Ocala, Fla. During the stop, the inmate was found deceased, laying on a bench inside the van.
FDLE press releases did not reveal the identity of the deceased inmate.
His death was due to a punctured lung that caused internal bleeding, determined a Medical Examiner. Additionally, the inmate had injuries to his face and torso consistent with a beating, police said.
“In the past two and a half months, FDLE agents and analysts have worked more than 1,700 hours on this investigation, conducting more than 45 interviews and writing 77 investigative reports so far,” FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen said regarding the case. “I am proud of the work our members have done on this case and our partnership with State Attorney Rundle to ensure justice on behalf of the victim and his family.”
Agents from Jacksonville and Miami, with assistance from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office helped to conduct the investigation.
FDLE announced Thursday that three of the officers involved in the death had been arrested: 29-year-old Christopher Rolon, 34-year-old Kirk Walton and 24-year-old Ronald Connor. They have been booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Another officer, who was at large Thursday – 28-year-old Sgt.
Jeremy Godbolt – was arrested Friday. He was apprehended by the LAX Airport Police at the Los Angeles International Airport.
Each of the law enforcement officials has been charged with murder.
“What happened in this case is completely unacceptable and is not a representation of our system, or of Dade Correctional Institution as a whole,” said Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon. “The staff involved in this case failed, and as an agency we will not stand for this. FDC is committed to providing a safe and professional environment for inmates and offenders. All inmates, regardless of their crimes have a right to serve their time free from victimization and abuse.”
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