By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. He stares into the office for a few moments before walking away. He did not respond. Angela Smith, who worked as an officer at Tabor Correctional Institution from 2010 to 2014, said she was often asked to work overtime because the prison was so understaffed. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. There, Ortiz and Zelaya-Sorto attacked and seriously injured inmate Christopher Cook. DPS names three new prison administrators | NC DPS The two inmates meet in the office with Wall, other administrators and members of the United Blood Nation gang, off and on, for 17 minutes. NC prison officers sleep on the job, putting lives at risk | Raleigh The letter also stated that Wall intentionally tried to conceal contraband that might have been used for pending criminal charges or an internal investigation. 4 correctional officers assaulted at North Carolina prison The weapons were found nearly a year and a half after the deadly fight, and forensic tests did not tie any of them to the attacks on Turner and Cook. Early on the morning of Nov. 15, 2013, Lanesboro had just four officers in the chow hall to oversee the 100 inmates who were there for breakfast, McCoy said. Our site does not feature every educational option available on the market. Id like to see the truth be told about what really does go on in here.. Acree said thetwo correctional officersassaulted with a broom handlewere treated by prison medical staff. Experts say such corruption jeopardizes prison workers, wastes taxpayer dollars and endangers the public. The staffing shortages also put officers in danger, Smith said. It was me who was supposed to die that day.. Officials: Lanesboro guard smuggled heroin for inmate [5] The prisoners were stripped, locked in their cells and shot. He would not discuss the lawsuit or his testimony with an Observer reporter. One Polk officer made $29,800 in salary in 2015. Dawe, whose group shares research to help correctional officers, said that prison leaders who operate without sufficient staff "roll the dice with people's lives.". On the video, Cook, 41, is the tall inmate gesturing to other prisoners. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution. Others believe that it was somehow connected to his job. Four correctional officers at a North Carolina prison were hospitalized Thursday after they were stabbed by several inmates, officials said. February 2017 - Former officer Evangeline Hunt was charged with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. Later, investigators found bloody weapons hidden in the ceiling of Walls old office. Prison leaders say they have begun assigning new officers "career readiness coaches," who provide pointers on dealing with inmates, keeping themselves safe and attaining career goals. Officers and prisoners say he had a reputation for doing favors for gang members. The Anson County Sheriff's Office says one inmate is dead and another was stabbed. Strong of the FBIs Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making the announcement. News anchor Fred Shropshire is leaving Charlotte station WCNC. Wilburn English, a prison sergeant who previously worked at Lanesboro, recalled a day when Parsons and Wall came to talk with him. The father of two was shot and killed in front of his Charlotte, North Carolina home, and police are currently investigating whether or not the murder was somehow connected to his profession or incidences which may have occurred in the correctional facility where he is employed. State prison officials refused to say how many staff were on duty the day Callahan died. [10] He was in charge of the special police unit ROTA that is known for having an aggressive approach to civil disturbance. Some family members believe that the murder may have been connected to an incident that occurred at a convenience store earlier in the week. No, I dont think he would have.. Recently, North Carolina inmates were able to smuggle a cell phone into the detention facility in which they were detained, and use it to orchestrate the kidnapping of the father of a prosecutor in the state. [11] On 16 February 2006, a Brazilian court voided Guimares' conviction because of mistrial claims; the court accepted his argument that he was only "following orders". Its so dangerous that some officers begin their work days by asking those coming off the previous shift how many assaults theyve just seen. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. In 2014, Vazquez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing Turner. But some experts interviewed by the Observer said that's a possibility. Wynn alleges that Parsons was willfully and deliberately indifferent to his safety, in violation of his Constitutional right to protection from cruel and unusual punishment. He got the nickname Ghost Face as the only white kid hanging out in a Durham housing project. Had there been more, he said, one female officer might never have been assaulted. October 2016 - Former correctional officer Scarlette Hodges pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs, tobacco and other contraband to at least one inmate. The Anson County Sheriff's Office says one inmate is dead and another was stabbed. Charlotte, NC 28202, Charlotte: (704) 344-6222 In an 11-week period in early 2016, more than 15 staff members left Lanesboro under suspicion of wrongdoing, Mitchell said. In 2014, we reported that an inmate stabbed a prison administrator as he walked through the prison recreation yard. Theyre within feet of an officer who controls the locked door to the block. Soon afterward, he contacted a Lanesboro employee, asking her to retrieve the contraband from the ceiling of his old office, his dismissal letter states. Dates, what you need to know, Winthrop loses to Radford in Big South tournament quarterfinals, Bonnaroo vows to stay champion of self-expression despite Tennessee drag show ban. More than 45 N.C. prison officers have been fired . Are there more visitors than ever in Bradenton, Sarasota as peak season approaches? Ortiz was sentenced to 37 to 57 months. Prisons to weaken correctional officer vetting, critics says Three correctional officers were assaulted late last week at the same state prison where an officer was killed two years ago. Another was criminally charged with bringing heroin to a prisoner. Wall was eventually fired in 2013, after Parsons had left Lanesboro and after the homemade shanks were found hidden in the ceiling of Walls office. Here are his plans. Prison inmate Mikel Brady guilty of killing 4 prison workers But if another staff member had been standing beside the officer that morning, "there's a possibility (Mosley) would have kept walking," McCoy said. North Carolina Correctional Officer Killed in Front of Home Working at Lanesboro Correctional Institution: 17 Reviews - Indeed It is a close custody facility, which is the equivalent of maximum security. One of Brazil's most notorious gangs, the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), is said to have formed in 1993 as a response to the event. This story was originally published July 17, 2018, 8:17 PM. In a cell block inside one of the states most dangerous prisons, an inmate stabs a rival gang member over and over, 13 times. CHARLOTTE A video taken inside Lanesboro Correctional Institution shows prison officials gesturing to suspects in an inmate's 2012 murder to keep their mouths shut after the killing, lawyers who represented one of the suspects said. His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. Many listings are from partners who compensate us, which may influence which Two state investigators said they reached the same opinion. Another prisoner also slips through the door. The incident was reported around 1:30 p.m. at the Lanesboro Correctional Institution in Polkton. The shank didnt belong there. None of the officers convicted have served their sentences. But, Cook said, Turner usually kept to himself. Guice, the prison leader, acknowledged that the state faces significant staffing challenges. About 45 miles from Charlotte, just beyond a grove of trees, Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses some of the states most violent criminals. Soon, the three convicted inmates all reported gang members were waiting at the door that would allow them into E pod, an adjacent unit. Official websites use .gov Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. [24] Consequently, the prosecutor is initiating an appeal and the process remains ongoing. This story was originally published December 4, 2014, 6:58 PM. (Parsons) told me I couldnt say anything about another sergeant bringing in marijuana, Wilburn testified. According to charges contained in the federal indictment, Blyther worked as a correctional officer at the Lanesboro Correctional Institution (LCI), since renamed Anson Correctional Institution, a state prison located in Polkton, North Carolina. Inmate Donny Mosley, who is serving time for second-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, had slashed her face and neck with a razor-like weapon. Walls dismissal letter, obtained by The Observer, states that he had hidden bloody weapons in the ceiling of his old office. The prison is named for the nearby community of Lanesboro. In July 2013, 10 months after the attack, Bridges was at Lanesboro interviewing an inmate when she got a tip. Vazquez repeatedly stabs Turner with a shank. Next is Joel Sour Ortiz, who is in prison for armed robbery and shooting a motorist in the head during a road-rage attack on Raleighs beltline. "It's not safe," McCoy said. Correctional officers were also prohibited from accepting gifts from inmates, performing favors for inmates, or providing inmates with narcotic drugs or any other item forbidden by LCI rules. Prison officials refused to open Cooks cell door so that investigators could get a DNA sample, Bridges said. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. But in his first public comments about the hidden weapons, Wall said Lanesboros top administrator at the time Lawrence Parsons was unaware that he kept the weapons in his ceiling. Combined, theyve been cited for dozens of offenses while in prison, including weapon possession, fighting and assault. B.S. Daniel Roberts, one of the lawyers, said at a sentencing hearing that the footage suggests prison officials may have sanctioned the attack or looked the other way. Correctional officer, father of 2 killed in shooting - WSOC TV At a pre-disciplinary conference, Wall told prison officials he was planning to put the shanks in a display case that would be used to train new staff members. Inmates indicted on murder charges for death and injury of fellow inmates Another prison manager in that cramped office at the time told investigators that she was not paying attention as Wall spoke to the gang members, Bridges said. Once in a lifetime, Murdaugh verdict sends a Lowcountry message: No one is above the law | Opinion, Charlotte Waffle House found with live roach, unclean equipment during health inspection, The top-ranked pie in North Carolina doesnt look like pie at all. The. Lake Norman mansion for sale hosted famous Talladega Nights Hollywood dinner scene, Ex-high school coach accused of sex crimes against 6 more athletes, NC sheriff says. Fan-favorite Buc-ees gas station confirms new Florida location near Interstate 75, Jo-To Japanese Steak House, a Bradenton-Sarasota landmark for 40 years, to close soon, Ghislaine Maxwell appeals verdict and 20-year sex-trafficking sentence, Judge releases Florida students jailed for posting TikTok videos with Nerf gun filter, Public has a right to know: Lawmakers seek to open Jeffrey Epstein grand jury records, 3 young teens charged with murder after 15-year-old shot in Bradenton, sheriff says, Deputies arrest Parrish student accused of making false tip of school shooting threat, Florida man known as Milkshake pleads guilty to assault in Jan. 6 Capitol Riot. They visited the office for about 15 minutes. Jurors deliberated for about half an hour before convicting Mikel. Heres a look at incidents at Lanesboro Correctional Institution since its opening in 2004: January 2009 - Inmate Bill Rayburn alleged he was repeatedly pepper-sprayed by correctional officers twice while he was naked after he requested medical help. Parsons declined to talk with the Observer about that and other allegations. The fatal fight broke out roughly five minutes after the inmates left the office. Polkton is 45 miles southeast of Charlotte. Why would you keep them there, with the risk of them getting into the hands of an inmate? she asked. One of the officers seen making the keep-quiet gesture was Jeffery Wall, a former prison unit manager who was fired months after inmate Wesley Turners murder. Its time, Cook wrote, to expose why Turner died. But only one shank was recovered. Bertie isn't the only state prison with staffing problems. Both are members of the Folk Nation. The N.C. Department of Public Safety has declined the Observers requests for copies of the video, citing ongoing investigative reviews.. The current capacity of Lanesboro Correctional Institution is 1,400 adult male inmates. Meggan Callahan was killed by an inmate at Bertie Correctional Institution Wednesday evening. The Carandiru massacre (Portuguese: Massacre do Carandiru, Portuguese: [msaki du kdiu]) occurred on Friday, 2 October 1992, in Carandiru Penitentiary in So Paulo, Brazil, when military police stormed the penitentiary following a prison riot.The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. He was found dead in his cell the following morning, a victim of coronary artery disease. research before making any education decisions. The military was given full command of the prison when arriving about 2:30 P.M..[4] Though the director wanted to negotiate with the prisoners by a megaphone, he was held back by his staff since the police almost crushed him. The three wait outside Cooks cell block for more than a minute. 11.291 (IACmHR, Apr. But it was sometimes hard for prison officers to find those shanks, Parsons said. But he said that Gov. All rights reserved. Statewide, about 16 percent of officer positions are vacant. Parsons, now retired, testified Tuesday that during his time at Lanesboro, he took a number of steps to reduce violence and keep weapons out of the hands of inmates. Many of those videos were labeled with the words use of force a term that describes the force used by law enforcement officers to control unruly people. POLKTON, N.C. - A lieutenant and a sergeant were stabbed by inmates at Lanesboro Correctional Institution around 2 p.m. Thursday and are being treated for their injuries at local hospitals, a The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. Starting in November 2013, more than 800 inmates at the prison were put on lockdown for several months after an attack injured a corrections officer. [20] In April 2014, 15 additional policemen were sentenced to 48 years. Many of North Carolina's maximum-security prisons are operating dangerously short of staff, current and former correctional officers told the Observer. ". A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. Murder probe exposes more problems at Lanesboro prison, Former SC governor, Trump ally Nikki Haley coming to Myrtle Beach as she runs for president, Fort Mill just named its top teachers and staff members for 2023. He also said he had not kept a gun in plain view inside his car, contrary to what a corrections officer had reported. Corrections officers flocked to the scene after the stabbings, but only one shank was recovered. For instance, they noted, he failed to tell prison officers after his attacker assaulted him the first time. Murder investigation exposes more problems at Lanesboro prison Both inmates are members of MS-13, a powerful Latino gang. One inmate dead, another injured in prison incident, Medical Marijuana bill passes NC Senate; some cannabis supporters against bill, 8-year-old helps raise money for favorite Waffle House worker in need of car, PLAN AHEAD: Latest Weather Forecast Video. An officer at the gate house said Wall was upset and had a gun visible in his car, which violates prison policy. In 2012, an inmate filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Lanesboro corrections officers cracked his skull with a baton and then destroyed a surveillance video that showed the assault. The winner, from Charlotte, took her prize as a $600,000 lump sum, officials said. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. Lock Lanesboro Correctional Institution - PrisonPro Zelaya-Sorto and Ortiz pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. Some family members believe that the murder may have been . The inmate was identified as 35-year-old Wesley Turner in a news release from N.C . Three officers assaulted at Bertie Correctional Institution - WITN They pepper-spray and beat Vazquez with batons to stop him from stabbing Turner. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The state says the prison was on lockdown while they investigated the incident. Palmetto man sentenced to life in prison after stabbing wife to death, faking intruder, He found a clam on a Florida beach to make some chowder. The massacre also gained international attention, with The New York Times, publishing one article titled "111 Killed When Police Storm Brazilian Prison During Inmate Riot" the same year as the massacre. Lanesboro has a standard operating capacity of 864 close-custody male inmates, with 128 segregation cells and 8 health care beds. Authorities believe all three of the convicted inmates had homemade knives, commonly known as shanks. Then he counted the rings, Is red tide present at your favorite Florida beach? English said he had gathered evidence about another prison sergeant who worked for Wall and who he suspected was bringing drugs into the prison. Polkton Police Chief Matthew Norris said he recovered the one shank in Walls desk drawer soon after the 2012 fight. Those officers must cover two shifts and a number of them are off, sick or on vacation at any given time so only a fraction of the total staff was likely available to work the day shift on April 26. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. In a court filing, Wall denied the federal lawsuit claims, saying he never facilitated attacks or gave gang members preferential treatment. He acknowledged that he had heard complaints about Wall from officers at the prison, but they had no concrete evidence.. NC prison officials asked for inmates' silence after Lanesboro killing He said he based his suspicions on information from inmate informants and prison surveillance video. In a court filing, Wall said he never facilitated attacks. Meggan Callahan was killed there allegedly by an inmate who beat her to death with a fire extinguisher. The first to enter is Julio Zelaya-Sorto, convicted of shooting and killing a man at a Greensboro nightclub. When Callahan was attacked, two other officers were nearby, according to Anthony Jernigan, who heads the State Bureau of Investigation office that covers northeastern North Carolina. A North Carolina inmate was found guilty Monday of murdering four prison workers during a failed escape attempt two years ago. For months, Bridges tried to make sense of what she saw at the murder scene and on surveillance video. Department spokesman Keith Acree said the two are being treated for their injuries at local hospitals. The officer noticed a gun in Walls vehicle, the letter states. SBI agents who investigated the killing said in interviews this week that they have no proof that corrections officers were trying to help the assailants. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. Lanesboro Correctional Institution Lanesboro Correctional Institution is located in Polkton North Carolina. In such situations inmates will sometimes send associates to threaten the officers, or even assault them. 1 inmate dead after incident at correctional center - WSOC TV [12] Guimares, who was also a member of the So Paulo state legislature, was assassinated in September 2006. - A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has indicted Erice Lemond Blyther, 46, of Hoffman, N.C., for smuggling a controlled substance at Lanesboro Correctional Institution while employed as a correctional officer. Wesley Turner has come to defend Cook, his friend. One prisoner alleges that Wall ran a violent, contraband-driven fiefdom.. Surveillance video from that day offers a look behind the prisons walls: Inmates mill about in a hallway, some high-fiving, others hugging or bumping fists, as if they are high-school students changing classes. Seconds later, Ortiz grabs a shank from his waistband and also begins slashing Cook. Your morale goes down," she said. Zelaya-Sorto pulls out a shank a handmade knife from inside his jumpsuit and lunges at Cook. MMA Junkie says that police officer Henrique Otavio Oliveira Velozo is a suspect. The CO was reportedly stabbed and suffered heavy bleeding after responding to an inmate fight. Brian Dawe, executive director of the American Correctional Officer Intelligence Network (ACOIN), said Bertie like most of the nation's prisons appeared to be badly understaffed, based on the numbers that state prison officials provided to the Observer. But, with the help of a source, the Observer obtained a prison surveillance video from the 2012 attack that killed inmate Wesley Turner, providing a rare glimpse into a prison murder. Officers sprint in behind Wall, cornering the three attackers. In an email to the Observer, state prison leaders said they have no evidence to support that conversations and gestures with inmates seen in the surveillance video are anything other than normal discussions with the inmate population.. Soon afterward, the suspects were escorted into offices where they received medical treatment. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "111 Killed When Police Storm Brazilian Prison During Inmate Riot", "Carandiru v. Brasil, Report, Report No. From a common area, Cook can see Zelaya-Sorto and Ortiz the prisoners who have just met with Wall. Leandro Lo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Star, Killed in So Paulo - Sports The officer who opened the door for the three convicted inmates told SBI agents he did so because he thought the prisoners were returning to their unit following a meal. They assert that releasing the videos could jeopardize prison security. Whether corrections officers helped facilitate any of what occurred that day, we dont know, said Tony Underwood, the special agent in charge of the nine-county SBI district that includes Anson and Mecklenburg counties. Among them: a manager suspected of being too close to inmates. Food Service Officer (Former Employee) - Wadesboro, NC - August 31, 2019. Surveillance videos and shanks hidden in the ceiling of a prison managers office raised questions about whether prison officials helped plan the attack or allowed it to happen. But SBI agent Audria Bridges, who led the investigation, said she was troubled to learn that inmates at the prison roamed freely in areas they should not have been in.. Tony Underwood, who headed the Charlotte areas SBI office at the time, said hes still troubled by what investigators learned about Walls relationship with inmates. The five men say they filed the lawsuit because of their time at Lanesboro Correctional Institution. The four staff members at the Lanesboro. Wall, who joined the prison system in 1995, was fired in August 2013 for willful violation of written rules and creating conditions that increased the chance of death or serious bodily injury, his dismissal letter states. Soon afterward, a corrections officer allowed the inmates into the pod where the murder took place. 227 West Trade St. As soon as the inmates entered D pod, Ortiz and Sorto attacked Cook, surveillance video shows. Although the UN urged Brazil to bring justice to those most affected by the slaughter in September 2016, the court declared the trial on Carandiru massacre null.
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