GUARD FEAR
FBI Citizen's Complaint - Representative Case #6 - Everglades
S W O R N S T A T E M E N T
I, Robert Jackson, do hereby swear that the following is true and correct.
1. That I am an inmate at Charlotte Correctional Institution, 33123 Oil Well Road, Punta Gorda, Florida 33955. My Prison Identification Number is #365424. I am giving this statement on my own free will. That I am willing and able to provide this statement and competitent to provide any testimony before the court.
2. That on November 4, 1998, while housed at Everglades Correctional Institution, Suicide Cell #2, of the Medical Building, at appx. 8:10PM, I heard banging noises and screaming coming from the cell #1, adjacent to mine. Through the window of the door which leads to an adjoining bathroom area between the cells, I viewed Sgt. Rucker and Sgt. Spalder beating an inmate. This inmate's name, I later learned to be Jeff Terry [# ]
3. Shortly after witnessing the two Officers beating Jeff Terry, Sgt. Rucker came to my cell and asked me in a threatening manner if I had seen anything and asked for my name. I informed Rucker my name and that I did not see anything, and did not know anything.
4. That shortly after [Sgt.] Rucker had visited my cell, Officers Hafids and Booden came to my cell, tossed in a thin status confinement orange jumpsuit on the floor of the cell and ordered that I get dressed and they left.
5. I was very scared and nervous as they had offered no explanation as to where I was to go as is the usual procedures. There were no doctors around at this time of night and I could not understand the reason for having me taken out of my cell. The only conclusion that I could come to is that they were going to beat me as they had did[sic] Jeff Terry as they had did [sic] moments prior. I was not allowed outside the cell unless and until a Doctor was present or ordered the move. Because of what I had moments before witnessed, and given the reputation of the staff at Everglades C.I., I knew that I was going to be beaten.
6. Before the Officers could return to remove me from the cell, I rubbed feces all over myself to prevent the officers from touching me, and I then tore the jumpsuit to hang myself. I was trying to kill myself before the Officers could return. I took strips of the torn jumpsuit, tied them around my neck, and attempted to jump on the window ledge in the cell to get high enough to tie the other end around a metal piece which jutted from the ceiling. During this time, Officers were standing in front of the cell watching me through the window on the ledge that I was trying to jump from. After I had failed numerous times, I then rolled up my mattress and put a blanket on top of it, standing on top of that, facing the window trying to tie the end of the torn jumpsuit to the metal piece (which I later learned was a fire extinguisher). The Officers and Sargeants were all cheering and laughing, saying, "A little higher!" "You can do it! You can do it!" After a short period of time, I managed to place the cloth around my neck and jumped to the floor. The fire extinguisher went off, which stayed on for appx. fifteen (15) minutes. The Officers who had been at my door, clogged up the bottom of the door with clothes until the level of the water from the extinguisher was about to my knees. I paced in the cell until the water went off. The Officers then took off their shirts in preparation for entering the cell. Captain Wooten, who was in the hallway, yelled, "You'll teach this asshole son of a bitch!" (referring to the Officers getting me). At that time the cell door opened and Sgts Rucker and Spalder entered the cell. With them were Sgt. Berch, Officers Hafidh and Booden. Rucker was carrying a plastic shield. I had a wet blanket wrapped around myself, and was kneeling down.
7. Upon entering the cell, Rucker smashed me with the shield saying, "Get down mother-fucker right now!" He smashed me down and then kicked me in the head. At the same time the other officers and Sgts also began to punch and kick me in the legs, arms and back. Rucker had his boot on the back of my head keeping my head to the floor, which had drained of the water once the door of the cell had been opened. At this time, they put the shackles on my legs, and placed my arms behind my back, so they could place handcuffs on me as well. The restraints were tightened until they were biting into my flesh and I could not feel either my hands or feet because of the blood restriction. The Officers gave me no orders to stand up and walk [nor asked] if I were capable of walking, but picked me up off the floor after having rolled me over and hitting me and twisting my feet. They grasped the chains between the shackles and cuffs to further lacerate my flesh. I immediately began to scream from the pain. They threw me out of the cell, landing by the next cell, where I landed upon my head, back, and elbows. I screamed and told them that the restraints were cutting me up. They then again picked me up off the floor and again threw me, this time out the back door, landing again on my head back and elbows. The pain in my wrists and elbows was incredible and I was still screaming. Sgt. Bench kicked me in the head, while Captain Wooten, Sgt. Rucker, Sgt. Bench, Sgt. Spalder, Officers Hafidh and Booten all picked me up to carry me. I was dropped like dead weight once we reached the check-point. At that point I felt like I would loose conciousness when they again picked me up and threw me through the back door of D-Building, Quad 2, where I laid on the floor. Sgt. Rucker then grabbed the chains in the middle of the shackles, dragging me across the floor into the middle of Quad 2, appx. 20-30 feet. Rucker stood over me saying, "Shut up or I'll kick your teeth out of your mouth!" for I was screaming because of the pain. It had almost been a relief to have been dropped on my head [taking pressure off the wrists].
8. Sgt. Young then said, "Jackson, you don't act so tough now with your dick shriveled up like a snail." He then went and opened cell #103, Quad 2 (a normal confinement quad) and said to me, "Back to your old cell. You'll see what happens when you play games and cut on yourself." I was then drug on my back to the cell, about another 10-15 feet. Young had a broken broom which he began to beat on the floor around my face, saying, "You through with it, Jackson? Can I take the restraints off of you without you trying anything?" At that point, Captain Wooten yelled to make sure that medical personnel checked me out. A male black nurse whose name I do not recall, appeared. Sgt. Young ordered that the nurse check my pulse, telling him that I was alright. The nurse checked my pulse, telling him that I was alright. The nurse did take my pulse then said, "He's alright, he'll live." I informed this nurse that my head was in pain, my wrists were hurting and bleeding, and I could not feel my feet. The nurse then said that he would schedule me to see a Doctor and then he left.
9. At this point, Sgt. Young attempted to take off the shackles and my feet were blue and purple looking and my ankles were bleeding where the shackles had cut into my flesh. When the Sgt. attempted to take off the handcuffs, the meat off my wrists was caught in the cuffs. He had to work the cuffs off, but my flesh was in the cuffs. Eventually, he succeeded by working it loose enough to get off and my wrists were bleeding very badly. I then asked that the nurse return, but Sgt. Young told me to "take a bird bath, Convict." When I informed him that I needed to see a doctor, he told me to "get on sick call tomorrow." As a result, I stayed in the cell all night long with no medical treatment, in pain, hurting very badly, and scared to go to sleep because of what the officers might do.
10. The next morning an inmate came to my cell and I told him to put my name on the Sick-Call list. I continued to request to see a doctor. Finally a psychiatrist came and seen me. He assured me that he would get me out of the confinement and not to worry and to trust him. I never was seen by a medical personnel. As Officer Gonzalez did get numerous other inmates for sick call, but he would not take me to medical. He stated, "We are going to get to you, you just calm down."
11. On that same day, I was transferred at 4:00PM, to South Florida Reception Center, C.S.U. There the Prison Inspector took photographs of me and my injuries. He very graciously informed me that I was 'safe'. He advised me that somebody would be seeing me soon and I was to tell them everything that had happened. A Mrs. Goodman, Inspector, interviewed me several days later. I told her of everything that had happened and that there were two inmates there at the institution who had witnessed the incidents. Their names are: Jeff Terry [#078657] and Jean Moseune [cannot find on DOC site]. At no time was I asked to give a written statement detailing what had happened. There were several other inmates who were present during the incident that were willing to give statements, including one Anthony McCoggie [not found on DOC site]. Jeff Terry did relate to the Inspector Goodman what had happened. As of this date none of the inmates were asked to give written statements, although Jeff Terry was interviewed, though the others were never interviewed.
12. It is clear that the investigation perpetrated by the staff was just an attempt to limit the damage and was otherwise inadequate. The Officers actions were Cruel and Sadistic Abuse. The use of force was excessive to the extreme by any standard. I, at no time, offered any resistance nor made any derogatory statements. The non-existant medical treatment, when needed, is a glaring example of deliberate indifference to my serious needs. After being received at South Florida Reception Center, I was immediately treated, seen by a doctor, and prescribed 800 mg of Motrin and Darvacet for pain, as well as a referral to an 'outside' specialist.
Further affiant sayeth naught.
Robert Jackson
365424
Bartow Main Unit
970 East Main Street
Bartow, Florida 33830
S E L F NO T A R Y
I, ROBERT JACKSON, hearby declare, under the penalties of perjury, that I have read the foregoing and the facts contained therein are true and correct.
Dated this 1st day of May, 1999.
Addresses since the beating in November 1998 at Everglades:
Everglades
South Florida Reception Center
Charlotte CI
Address today, May 17, 2001:
Robert Jackson
365424
Bartow CI
970 East Main Street
Bartow, Florida 33830
