By Karamagi Rujumba
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PITTSBURGH - FBI agents in Pittsburgh are investigating an incident at the Allegheny County Jail in which a corrections officer kicked an inmate while other guards were struggling to bring the inmate under control.
Jail Warden Ramon Rustin said yesterday that FBI agents on Tuesday collected and reviewed tapes of the April incident.
Mr. Rustin said the guard involved in the incident was given a five-day suspension and signed a letter that would result in his dismissal if he has another case of excessive force.
FBI Special Agent William Crowley yesterday said the agency is conducting a preliminary investigation of possible civil rights violations at the jail, but declined to elaborate on the scope of the investigation.
The FBI started its investigation late last week, Mr. Crowley said.
James Morton, assistant superintendent of Allegheny County police, said yesterday that his agency also was investigating use of force at the jail.
“We’re doing an independent investigation into the incident. We started it about two days ago after it was referred to us,” said Assistant Superintendent Morton.
“The FBI has not talked to us, they just say they are involved.”
Jace Younge, vice president of the Allegheny County Prison Independent Union, yesterday blamed the investigations on strained relations between his union and county jail officials and said he believes it is part of an attempt to weaken the correction officers union.
Mr. Younge said he believes administration officials leaked a video of the April incident and another incident involving excessive force that occurred last December to KDKA-TV reporter Marty Griffin.
Mr. Younge said that although both incidents involved use of force by guards, the discipline was handled quite differently.
In the incident last December, a corrections officer struck a female inmate. The officer was terminated, but was later reinstated by an arbitrator.
But in the April incident, the corrections officer who kicked the inmate was not fired. Instead, he got a five-day suspension without pay and signed a so-called last-chance letter.
Mr. Younge said the lighter punishment was an attempt to undermine the union.
“We believe the administration is trying to show our membership that relying on your union is detrimental to your career,” said Mr. Younge, who handles grievances for the union of about 450 correction officers.
Mr. Rustin denied leaking the tapes from security cameras to the news media.
“I did not release any videos to any reporters,” Mr. Rustin said yesterday. “I am not happy that the media is sensationalizing these incidents.”
The warden also noted that he chose to discipline the officer involved in the April incident differently than how he handled the December incidents because “the offense did not rise to the level of someone being fired.”
Copyright 2007 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette