By Ken DeCoster
Rockford Register Star
ROCKFORD, Ill. — The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that allegations that corrections officers used excessive force in quelling a June 2 disturbance at the county jail are “absolutely false.”
The allegations, made by a collective called 815 Mutual Aid Network and reiterated at recent demonstrations against police violence, are that at least 20 corrections officers shouted taunts, shot tear gas into jail cells and beat inmates for no reason. One inmate was said to have suffered a broken arm, which the sheriff’s office said is not true.
Rockford native Shalonda Lambert, who now lives in Milwaukee, said the claims are based on witness accounts from several jail inmates whom she knows.
“The inmates, for whatever reason, were kicking their cell doors and the corrections officers came in very aggressively instead of trying to resolve the situation,” Lambert said. “They came in and started screaming ‘Where are all the tough guys?’”
Tensions inside the jail have escalated since the protests of George Floyd’s death began in Rockford on May 30, Lambert said.
The group is demanding an internal investigation into the incident and the firing of corrections officers involved and that cameras be placed in sally ports and other areas of the jail not monitored by cameras.
“For us, it’s not fair to be fearful and to have to worry about our loved ones’ safety while they’re behind bars,” Lambert said.
Corrections officers deployed pepper spray while responding to three disruptive detainees on June 2, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the sheriff’s office.
“The allegations that tear gas was deployed inside the facility and that a detainee’s arm was broken are simply not true,” the statement said. “Tear gas is not a tool utilized for de-escalation within the Winnebago County Jail.”
“Each and every use of force by any member of the Sheriff’s Office is reviewed on multiple levels and the Sheriff’s Office utilizes an early warning system to identify potential issues,” the statement said.
The office began purchasing body cameras for sheriff’s deputies and corrections officers in mid-2019. All uniformed corrections officers and deputies will wear body cameras while on the job, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Corrections officers perform a difficult but necessary job under stressful conditions and at times are forced to use their training to de-escalate situations,” the statement said. “We review all incidents to ensure these situations are handled appropriately. We stand by our officers and maintain these allegations of mistreatment are absolutely false.”
There were no injuries to inmates or staff members on June 2, the sheriff’s office said.
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