Latest US News: Inmate Speaks After Video Showing Him Kicked By Deputies Leaks
An inmate Issac Porterfield, has reached out to WREG after an assault caught on camera in 2018, shows the moment he was kicked by deputies who were tasked to protect. His reason for the call was to expose what he calls “behind bars wrongdoing.”
According to Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, trouble started when an inmate took a swing at a deputy. The inmate was then sprayed and kicked while in lockup by several members of the Detention Response Team. The team is trained in managing aggressive inmates. However, a whistle blower leaked the video to the media house.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department is also telling it’s on part of the story by making available a video which shows the incident from a different vantage point.
“I just wanted to make sure the people of Memphis know what’s going on here at the CJC.”
Captain Anthony Buckner says the department is also well aware of what happened, and we’re learning several members of the Detention Response Team were disciplined.
“Two corrections deputies featured in the video underwent remedial training,” he said.
Exactly what that additional training entails remains unclear.
The inmate goes on to say via phone that it’s not only what you see, but what happened off camera that has him filing formal complaints, yet again.
“When they handcuffed me, well when I putt the cuffs on myself and was escorted to medical, I was pushed in a room. I know that they use this room, and I try to stay out of the room. You can see on the next video, if they release it to you, that I was pushed in a room and all the officers ran in again and jumped me while I was in handcuffs.”
Captain Buckner who is unable to comment about the specifics surrounding the case, says although the deputies were forced to get more training, Porterfield was not disciplined.
“The decision was made not to charge the TDOC inmate, who was being held in our jail on felony convictions, with any misdemeanor assault charges.”
Porterfield says that’s not enough. He wants those involved to face harsher consequences.
“They think they’re a higher power. They are running taps like they are gang members. That’s exactly what they are doing, they are on the job,” he said.
Shelby County is standing behind its deputies, saying they were doing what had to be done, in order to gain and maintain control.
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