They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die. Please enter valid email address to continue. Channel 9 has investigated Lanesboro, a maximum-security prison, for years. Seconds later, Ortiz grabs a shank from his waistband and also begins slashing Cook. If (prison officials) cant answer that question, why cant they?. Contact an Observer reporter: Ames Alexander | 704-358-5060 | aalexander@charlotteobserver.com, Gavin Off | 704-358-6038 | goff@charlotteobserver.com. "They might have had enough officers to subdue that inmate before he got that fire extinguisher from the sergeant," said Robert Webster, a former captain at two North Carolina maximum-security prisons. Roberts said that if prison is supposed to be a place where inmates learn to live law-abiding lives, Lanesboro appears to be falling short. A North Carolina inmate was found guilty Monday of murdering four prison workers during a failed escape attempt two years ago. [12] Guimares, who was also a member of the So Paulo state legislature, was assassinated in September 2006. ANSON COUNTY, N.C. One inmate is dead after an incident at Lanesboro Correctional Center in Anson County. Blyther was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, and had his initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer. [10] He was in charge of the special police unit ROTA that is known for having an aggressive approach to civil disturbance. 11.291 (IACmHR, Apr. Walker said she cant discuss specifics, but the investigation was not related to the Turner case. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. The police released their dogs in the barber shop, where the wounded prisoners were taken. In a statement to the Observer, N.C. Secretary of Public Safety Frank Perry wrote: Management changes have been made at Lanesboro, but many other initiatives are in the works that include increasing staff, providing additional staff training and partnering with outside law enforcement and investigative agencies.. Inmate Craig Wissink, who has been serving a life sentence for murder since 2004, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Callahan's death. That works out to about one officer for every 29 inmates. To investigators and the killers lawyers, his meaning seems clear: The man making that gesture isnt another inmate. Hours after the murder, video also shows Wall gesturing to the killer. [6], By the end of the day, 111 prisoners were dead; and 37 more were injured. He stretches his arms wide above his head, then lowers them and covers his mouth with both hands. 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. [9] State officials say they are working to improve conditions at Lanesboro. One former officer, who rushed to a colleague's defense after she was slashed in the neck by an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, said the attack might have been prevented with more staff. John Sapper is appointed as the new administrator at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor. Cook suffered lacerations and puncture wounds. The settlement was reached after the trio and two other state prisoners, Orlando Harshaw and Stacey Wynn, sued Lanesboro Correctional Institution Superintendent Lawrence Parsons and other prison officials for allowing and facilitating attacks by gang members in a part of the prison run by Unit Supervisor Jeffrey E. Wall. A federal lawsuit, filed last month by five former Lanesboro inmates, alleges that corrections officers helped gang members wage attacks against other inmates. 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. For instance, they noted, he failed to tell prison officers after his attacker assaulted him the first time. Acree said thetwo correctional officersassaulted with a broom handlewere treated by prison medical staff. Main Office: You're tired. Vazquez and Zelaya-Sorto are scheduled for release in 2028. Prison leaders plan to examine many factors, including staffing patterns, Guice said. ANSON COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Three inmates from the Lanesboro Correctional Institute in Polkton have been indicted by an Anson County Grand Jury for the September 28, 2012 murder of a fellow inmate, and an assault on a second inmate. Charlotte, NC 28202, Charlotte: (704) 344-6222 Seconds later, another prisoner follows. September 29, 2016 / 6:08 PM ". In July 2013, 10 months after the attack, Bridges was at Lanesboro interviewing an inmate when she got a tip. The inmate was identified as 35-year-old Wesley Turner in a news release from N.C . 13, 2000)", "The stories and horrors in Brazil's penal system", "Outrage: 24 Years Later, Carandiru Prison Massacre of 111 is Called Self Defense", "Police officers get 156 years for 1992 Brazilian prison massacre", "Carandiru Massacre's Defining Moment for Brazil - Fair Observer", "Brazil's prison massacres are a frightening window into gang warfare", "Brazil police jailed for prison 'massacre', "Brazil police sentenced over Carandiru jail massacre", "Brazil Carandiru jail massacre police guilty", "15 police guilty in Brazil prison killings", "UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS, Office of the High Commissioner South America", "16 Brazil declares trial on Carandiru massacre null in shocking blow for justice", "Appeal begins in Brazil against acquittal of 74 police", "Opinion | Brazil's Deadly Prison System", "Sepultura's 'Chaos A.D.' Is the Anti-Colonial Rallying Cry that Thrash has Always Needed", Federal Correctional Institution, Talladega riot, Arizona State Prison Complex Lewis riot, United States Penitentiary, Florence riot, Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo riot, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carandiru_massacre&oldid=1140965457, People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Brazil, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Portuguese-language text, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The massacre is the subject of the song "Manifest" on the, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 17:49. Hands among the dead were found in front of the face or behind the head suggesting defensive positions. To cope with the shortages, many prisons have also paid hundreds of thousands each year for overtime. In 2014, we reported that an inmate stabbed a prison administrator as he walked through the prison recreation yard. But minutes later, they are walking through a prison hallway with weapons, headed for a fight. Then they returned to D pod, the unit where they lived. Prison leaders say that when staff vacancies at a prison rise, they make adjustments, such as moving prisoners, reducing inmate programs and sending fewer staff members to special training. "You can only spread people so thin," she said. 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. The gashes in the officer's face and neck required 39 stitches. The four staff members at the Lanesboro. An officer in a control room opened the door for them. Turner was scheduled to get out of prison this year, too. The five men say they filed the lawsuit because of their time at Lanesboro Correctional Institution. The North Carolina . 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. Angela Smith, who worked as. 1992 military police killing of prisoners in Brazil, Act in memoriam of 111 prisoners dead in the incident. Cary man becomes 27th North Carolinian charged in Capitol riot. In a court filing, Wall said he never facilitated attacks. Most (of the prisons officers) are good, hard-working folks, said Underwood, the SBI supervisor. That explanation didnt make sense to Bridges. He pleads with two other inmates to lend him a weapon. Prison officials refused to allow reporters to interview Cook in prison, citing mental health concerns and a policy that does not allow media interviews with inmates in solitary confinement. Bridges, 46, a North Carolina State graduate and former Concord police officer, was familiar with Lanesboro. It's unclear whether better staffing would have saved Callahan's life. Its also unclear where Zelays-Sorto and Ortiz go immediately after the meeting breaks up. [22][23] The court judged that the massacre was an act of self-defense and that there was a lack of evidence to link the individual officers to the individual killings. He was not asked to explain why. Where, she wondered, were the shanks used to attack Cook and Turner? His friend may be next. 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.. January 2013 - A former Lanesboro correctional officer began sending letters to state officials, describing several incidents in which some prison officials appeared to collude with gang members. Polkton Police Chief Matthew Norris said he recovered the one shank in Walls desk drawer soon after the 2012 fight. Cook, the target of the 2012 attack, was released from prison in March. The commanding officer of the operation, Colonel Ubiratan Guimares, was initially sentenced to 632 years in prison for his mishandling of the rebellion and the subsequent massacre. [7], The country was in major shock from the massacre. In February, the FBI charged former Lanesboro officer Evangeline Hunt with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. Others believe that it was somehow connected to his job. Department spokesman Keith Acree said the two are being treated for their injuries at local hospitals. 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. "When you don't have adequate staff to manage the inmates, and there's an incident, unfortunately people can get hurt and sometimes people even die," Webster said. They refuse. She and her colleagues in the Charlotte SBI office were frequently called to investigate crimes there, including officers charged with bringing drugs to inmates. Editors note: This story is based on interviews with dozens of sources including inmates, investigators, lawyers and 19 current and former prison employees as well as court files, correspondence, criminal records and state prison documents. They are joined by a third Latino gang member, Gregorio Vazquez, who is in prison for second-degree murder. David Mitchell, a Harley-riding former Navy officer brought in to run the prison in 2014, was attacked three times in his first eight months once stabbed in the neck by an inmate wielding a dagger fashioned from melted plastic. A video taken inside Lanesboro in 2012 and obtained by the Observer shows Wall meeting with gang members just minutes before those inmates, armed with homemade weapons, became involved in a. 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.. Copyright 2012 WBTV. 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. All three are serving their sentences at other prisons. [8] In 2013, hundreds of people attended a multi-faith vigil in So Paulo in memoriam of those killed in the massacre. What to know about daylight saving time in NC, Goofy dog had no adoption inquiries for months. Searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. In court documents, Parsons has denied that. This morning, Turner had warned Cook that Latino gang members planned to create trouble between the Bloods and the Folks. Bridges and a prison captain searched the ceiling and found videos of prison fights, nine rods, a long metal shank and three bloody shanks. Soon, the three convicted inmates all reported gang members were waiting at the door that would allow them into E pod, an adjacent unit. 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 Soon afterward, Vazquez attacked and killed Turner. 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 continue to cause trouble: Since Turners death, theyve been written up for about 50 infractions, including weapon possession, setting fires and assaulting staff. Wilburn English, a prison sergeant who previously worked at Lanesboro, recalled a day when Parsons and Wall came to talk with him. in Criminal Justice, The Panopticon: The Controversy Over an 18th Century Prison Concept Thats Still in Use Today, Quick Work by Tennessee Correctional Officers Foils Escape Plan, California Correctional Officers Honored for Saving Lives While Off-Duty, Florida Corrections Officer Taken Hostage Found Unharmed, Correctional Center in Nome, Alaska Offers Job Training Workshops to Help Inmates Re-enter Society. Just out of view, in the lower right-hand corner of the video, a second fight erupts. I believe its not a coincidence that they are in that office within minutes of carrying out that hit, Bridges told an Observer reporter. By Ames Alexander - aalexander@charlotteobserver.com. 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. Bridges said she doesnt believe that. Its time, Cook wrote, to expose why Turner died. Zelaya-Sorto did reply to the Observer, but wrote only: Este caso esta serado This case is closed.. Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses about 1,800 inmates in close, medium and minimum custody. Cook is unarmed. October 2014 - Prison administrator David Mitchell was stabbed in the neck by an inmate wielding a plastic shank. Then he covers his mouth. SBI officials say theres no proof that happened in the Turner case. The first inmates arrived in January 2004. He stretches his arms high. Vazquez, 32, had already been serving an eight- to 10-year sentence for second-degree murder. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution. All three belonged to gangs. Then shelter shared desperate plea, What to Watch Friday: Dateline and 20/20 update Murdaugh murder trial coverage, Mail carrier cant believe his eyes after seeing NC lottery win. As soon as the inmates entered D pod, Ortiz and Sorto attacked Cook, surveillance video shows. Wall turns and looks directly into the room where Vazquez waits. The inmate was always in his office, and that was kind of unusual, Covington said. The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation. They contended those numbers constitute "sensitive public security information.". Multiple attempts to reach Wall and Peguese including visits to their last known addresses in Anson County were unsuccessful. Lanesboro has a standard operating capacity of 864 close-custody male inmates, with 128 segregation cells and 8 health care beds. The vigil and pleas for justice led to several trials for the officers involved in the massacre that same year. State Bureau of Investigation agents say they are examining possible wrongdoing by former Lanesboro officers and cannot discuss the assertions by Vazquezs lawyers. Wall is the first staff member to arrive. About 45 miles from Charlotte, just beyond a grove of trees, Lanesboro Correctional Institution houses some of the states most violent criminals. Then he counted the rings, Is red tide present at your favorite Florida beach? Now comes the gesture. Wall said he put the shanks in the ceiling because he couldnt lock his desk drawer or file cabinet, his dismissal letter states. The facility was a detention center, not a penitentiary, meaning that the inmates had not yet been tried or convicted. MMA Junkie says that police officer Henrique Otavio Oliveira Velozo is a suspect. Attorneys for Vazquez said their client never told them what led to the fight. Soon afterward, the suspects were escorted into offices where they received medical treatment. Five years after the murder, Lanesboros problems continue. 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. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. He said he based his suspicions on information from inmate informants and prison surveillance video. Subsequent searches found numerous cellphones, improvised weapons and marijuana. 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. Combined, theyve been cited for dozens of offenses while in prison, including weapon possession, fighting and assault. Corrections officers recovered another improvised weapon at the scene a sharpened metal plate, which may have come from a prison door. Parsons declined to talk with the Observer about that and other allegations. 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. Testimony from former unit manager Jeffery Wall came during the second day of a civil trial examining whether Walls supervisor, the top official at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, ignored serious problems and allowed Wall to maintain a violent, contraband-driven fiefdom.. At no time did (I) knowingly or willingly allow any inmate to attack any inmate, he wrote. He said hes haunted by Turners murder and has branded the letters of his best friends nickname into his right side. February 2017 - Former officer Evangeline Hunt was charged with smuggling in drugs and other contraband for inmates. Roberts, one of Vazquezs attorneys, said he was surprised to see how freely inmates at Lanesboro were allowed to roam the prison. I didnt have enough cooperation to connect the dots, she said. Said Gary Harkins, former research and information director for ACOIN: "People can get killed when you don't have enough staff. Drive down U.S. 74 toward the beach and you may not realize its there. April 2009 - Inmate Prentiss Quick complained of chest pains and requested medical help, but no one at the prison got him to a nurse or a doctor, a correctional officer and an inmate said. September 2016 - Inmates stabbed a sergeant and a lieutenant at the prison, and hit two other officers with a broom handle. The slain officer, Bias Easley, worked at the Lanesboro Correctional Institute, which is located near Wadesboro. 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. Correctional officers face significant dangers in their careers both inside and outside of prisons to which they are assigned. An officer at the gate house said Wall was upset and had a gun visible in his car, which violates prison policy. A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Corrections says two inmates were taken to the hospital. Inside his cell block, inmate Christopher Cook expects trouble. Prison officials refused to open Cooks cell door so that investigators could get a DNA sample, Bridges said. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. All rights reserved. Ortiz, the inmate charged in that stabbing, said his weapon was a plastic toilet bowl cleaner with a sharpened end. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. "We've got a lot of folks who are not staying with us.". His attorney, Joseph Ledford, wouldnt discuss his case and said he advised his client not to talk. [20] In April 2014, 15 additional policemen were sentenced to 48 years. In 2012, an inmate at Lanesboro Correctional Institution was killed during a gang fight. A correctional officer in the state of North Carolina was recently murdered, just one month before his wedding. Wesley Turnerwas stabbed to death and taken to Anson Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. At Lanesboro, 45 miles southeast of Charlotte, it was common for 42 officers to watch about 1,200 prisoners on the night shift, according to Gregory McCoy, who worked there as a correctional officer from 2009 to 2016. That was one of three times inmates attacked Mitchell. Prosecutors later dismissed the charge because of problems with the credibility of witnesses. Ortiz was sentenced to 37 to 57 months. He did not respond. Both are members of the Folk Nation. Ortiz later told investigators his weapon was a plastic toilet bowl cleaner with a sharpened end. At least eight Lanesboro officers were caught bringing in drugs, cellphones and tobacco from early 2013 to early 2017, according to law enforcement records. It is a close custody facility, which is the equivalent of maximum security. The FBI investigated the case. Three weeks later, Wall was fired. 227 West Trade St. For months, Bridges tried to make sense of what she saw at the murder scene and on surveillance video. Wynn, who also took the stand Tuesday, testified that some inmates simply walked around prison metal detectors. Theyre within feet of an officer who controls the locked door to the block. An official website of the United States government. Other inmates had told investigators that Hodges was supplying contraband to an inmate gang member who she later admitted was her boyfriend, court records show. He also said he had not kept a gun in plain view inside his car, contrary to what a corrections officer had reported. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. He sued and won a $10,000 settlement from the state. RALEIGH, N.C. A prison officer and two inmates were injured during a fight at Lanesboro Correctional Institution Thursday morning, state prison officials said. research before making any education decisions. The shank didnt belong there. English said he had gathered evidence about another prison sergeant who worked for Wall and who he suspected was bringing drugs into the prison. Another officer suffered serious cuts to his face last month after he was assaulted by an inmate with a bladed weapon. Officers said excessive overtime work can leave them burned out and exhausted. 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. At other prisons of comparable size, officers told the Observer, it's common for about 50 or 60 officers to work the day shift. In 2014, a Lanesboro officer was paid $29,800 but made another $35,600 in overtime. Bridges said that, in her opinion, Walls meeting with the Latino gang members was connected in some way with the subsequent fight. The current capacity of Lanesboro Correctional Institution is 1,400 adult male inmates. "We've got to find a way to retain the people who work for us," Guice said. Guice, the prison leader, acknowledged that the state faces significant staffing challenges. ANSONCOUNTY, N.C. -- A N.C. inmate has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that corrections officers at an Anson County prison cracked his skull with a baton . Blyther is charged with use of interstate facility to facilitate bribery, which carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine; extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine; and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. The pay is low an average of the about $35,000 annually at maximum-security prisons and the work is dangerous and demanding. Reporters interviewed Cook in March, two days after he was released from prison. Ten months later, significant amounts of contraband including video recordings and three bloody shanks were found in the ceiling above Walls office, according to his dismissal letter.

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