MIAMI – Five state prison employees have been charged with battery on an inmate.
According to an arrest report, one of the officers at the Northwest Florida Reception Center in Chipley directed a ‘takedown’ of 31-year-old prisoner Jeremiah Tatum during an escort. A video shows officers slammed Tatum face first into the concrete while he was in leg and hand restraints. Another officer allegedly jumped on Tatum’s legs while he’s on the ground during the August incident.
The Florida Department of Corrections said Thursday the arrests came after an investigation by the Office of Inspector General. A six employee was charged with official misconduct. The agency has fired all six employees.
The Department of Corrections has come under scrutiny recently after the death of a mentally ill inmate in Miami.