ANOTHER GIANT LEAP
April 4, 2017
An annual MLB tradition
April 4, 2017
Officials confirmed Monday that the FBI is investigating the alleged beating of a Johnson Ridge man by state prison guards.
“We haven’t made any arrests and we turned the case over to the FBI,” said St. Gabriel Police Chief Kevin Ambeau.
A spokesman for the New Orleans office of the FBI said the agency would have no comment, but Ken Pastorick, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Corrections, said that both St, Gabriel PD and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office original ly looked at the incident which occurred at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center, but that the FBI has since taken up the investigation.
Pastorick confirmed also that eight guards from Hunt have been fired in connection with
the allegations of excessive force and engaging in a cover-up concerning the incident.
“We will not tolerate this type of behavior ” said Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James M. LeBlanc. “This is a sad day in our Department’s history. These individuals do not represent the 99 percent of our dedicated employees who are committed to public safety and integrity.”
The local man who was allegedly victimized, John Harold, was doing time for armed robbery and related charges. He was also doing time for battery of a correctional officer and simple criminal damage to property in connection with an incident at the Winn Correctional Center in 2009, as well as for resisting a police officer in 2014. Harold and another inmate, Lonnie Bryant, had been penalized for violating rules that included defiance and aggravated disobedience. Both lost canteen privileges for 12 weeks and were placed in isolation for 10 days.
Houma retail worker Tina Harold, the sister of John Harold, said he is healing slowly from injuries related to the Jan. 9 incident at Hunt. She acknowledges that some people might not be sympathetic to claims from a prison inmate, but hopes that they can be moved to understand the importance of a thorough investigation and punishment of those accused, if they are found guilty of crimes.
“People should care because you never know when it’s your turn,” she said. “It could be your grandbaby, your nephew, you have to have compassion because you just never know. If it is not your day today it may be your day tomorrow.”
According to a narrative supplied by DOC, officers were attempting to remove Harold and Bryant from a cell. When they failed to comply, shift supervisor Kevin Durbin obtained authorization to perform a cell extraction. After the requested tactical team arrived and the extraction began, the report states, Durbin departed the area.
“During the cell extraction, apparently several of the Tactical Team members lost their tempers and allegedly used excessive force by repeatedly striking offender Harold,” the DOC account states. “Following the incident, the officers failed to fully report the incident, and some even lied about what actually happened. Three officers admitted to using excessive force, and they implicated three others in excessive force use. Those three denied participation.”
Following the extraction, a transport vehicle driver transported Harold and several officers to the infirmary at Hunt. In that officer’s presence, allegedly, Harold was subjected to additional excessive force.
The transport officer denied witnessing the alleged abuse.
Adrian Almodovar of Gonzales was fired for general misconduct, abuse of offenders, corporal punishment or use of unnecessary to excessive force, falsifying documents or making false statements and aggravated malfeasance. Eric Norwood of St. Gabriel was fired for abuse, corporal punishment or use of unnecessary or excessive force, and falsifying documents or making false statements, as was Michael Collins of Baton Rouge.
Kevin Durbin of Geismar was fired on a rule violation of aggravated failure to follow orders, falsifying documents and making false statements and aggravated malfeasance.
Charles Philson of Baton Rouge was fired for abuse, corporal punishment or use of unnecessary or excessive force, falsifying documents or making false statements and aggravated malfeasance.
Andre Riley of Plaquemine was fired for those same offenses. Troy Rogers of Harvey was fired for falsifying documents or making false statements and aggravated malfeasance, as was Jarod Verret of Gretna.
Tina Harold said her brother told her the incident began after he had repeatedly asked an officer for his high blood pressure medication which was not dispensed to him as directed.
“He needed help,” she said. “He shouldn’t have had to ask for his medication.”
The blood pressure problem, she said, is what caused her brother to fall and not be able to get up, which was determined to be non-compliance.
“I want to know their reasoning,” said Harold.
A total of eight officers were dismissed last week after the alleged abuse of an inmate at Hunt Correctional Center.
Pictured is Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James M. LeBlanc.
