The incident is not unlike a bullying, and humiliating, middle school prank. But in this case, it’s not school kids but sheriff’s deputies inside a county jail.
In a January incident, two inmates at a Florida county jail who were working in the kitchen and had asked for gloves, were forced to stand with their foreheads pressed against a glass wall with their hands behind their backs. Then, deputies taped signs to the inmates’ backs that described the two men as “idiots.”
The sheriff’s guards then had other prisoners parade past the two, and read the signs aloud in an effort to shame the men.
After a long investigation, Pinellas County Florida Sheriff’s deputies Willie Jordan Jr. and Kenneth Rowe have been slapped with a nearly a 24-day unpaid suspension.
Here’s what you need to know:
A 6-Month Investigation Into the Incident Had the Deputies Admitting Their Guilt & Saying They Were Ashamed
In internal police files and memorandum, the case against the officers was laid out with both men admitting what they did, though the entire incident is on camera. And both men also admit they’re embarrassed by their actions. In one quote from Rowe, who admitted to typing up the signs, said that while it was all happening, it was too late, he said he was “committed,” adding he knew he was wrong.
“I started to think, oh crap, I’m losing my mind for a second here because I forgot that I’m not in the Army right now. I’m at the Sheriffs Office. And I shouldn’t be putting pieces of paper on the inmate’s backs. And I definitely shouldn’t be allowing these inmates to come parade through here.” But he did.
The Video Has No Sound, But It’s Hardly Necessary to Understand Whats Occurring
The Jan. 13, 2019 video of the incident inside the county jail was released to Heavy after a Freedom of Information request. There was a six-month long internal investigation conducted by the Sheriff Office’s Administrative Investigation Division, Professional Standards Bureau. The final report lays out the chain of events seen on video but also includes the testimony of the two officers. There were two other deputies involved but they have “left” the sheriff’s office.
Two inmates working in the jail’s kitchen approach the office where the guards are stationed. The men were there to get gloves because officers that should have been on the floor watching inmates were not there. Both deputies testified to that fact that “probably nobody” was watching the inmates. So the men needed to come to the guards to ask for the kitchen gloves, which displeased the deputies, they said.
The 2 Inmates Were Forced to Stand With Their Heads Pressed Against a Thick Glass Wall for 10 Minuets as They Were Mocked
So, the deputies Rowe and Jordan then force the men to stand against a glass wall with their foreheads touching the glass and their hands behind their backs. Then Rowe goes back into the office and types up the signs which read “something like, ;I’m an idiot. I can’t stop messing with the guards. I can’t get right.”
Still forced to stand against the wall, Rowe and Jordan tape the signs on their backs and then proceed to allow the rest of the inmates to parade past, read the signs, and mock the men. In total, the two men were forced to stand that way for more than 10 minutes.
The Deputies Are Suspended Until the End of August Without Pay
It’s reported that Rowe and Jordan were not removed from the department because the men have otherwise good records.