By C1 Staff
NEW YORK — The death of a New York inmate is being ruled a homicide, contradicting official reports that he was being treated for ingesting synthetic marijuana.
Samuel Harrell, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was taken to a nearby hospital after Fishkill Correctional Facility officers stated he “went unresponsive and into cardiac arrest,” according to The Syracruse. Other inmates said the confrontation between Harrell and officers was much more violent, including officers hurling racial slurs and jumping on Harrell “like he was a trampoline.”
An autopsy found no illicit drugs in Harrell’s system and ruled that his death was the result of a “physical altercation with correctional officers.”
Posted by John Morales on Sunday, December 22, 2013
Inmates reported that Harrell was thrown down the stairs in a section of the prison where there are no security cameras; at the bottom, he was repeatedly kicked and hit by officers walking by.
Officers were not disciplined for Harrell’s death, but inmates who witnessed the incident claimed to have been threatened with violence or placed in solitary confinement after speaking with lawyers.
Building 21, the area where Harrell died, has a history of violence, including harassment and provocation by officers.
Inmates identified six officers as those responsible in Harrell’s beating, one of whom has been sued by several inmates over charges of brutality. Two of those suits were settled for $60,000 and $65,000 each.
The Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association repeated the claim that officers suspected drug use. The union also noted that one officer sustained an injury while subduing Harrell.
State Police who were investigating the incident have turned their evidence over to the Dutchess County district attorney, who released a statement: “Anyone found to have engaged in any misconduct or in any legal violations will be disciplined and prosecuted.”
Last week, the New York Times reported that inmates at the Clinton County Correctional Facility in Dannemora claimed they were beaten and choked with plastic bags following the escape of David Sweat and Richard Matt as officers sought information to recapture the inmates.