strongernow
04-23-2004, 05:20 PM
Inmate shocked three times by deputies
By Becky Purser
Telegraph Staff Writer
Macon Telegraph, GA
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/states/georgia/counties/hous
ton_peach/8479109.htm
PERRY - An inmate who died at the Houston County jail was shocked
three times with a Taser, according to a sheriff's report released
Tuesday.
Melvin Bernard Samuel, 28, of Savannah, died Friday morning after he
was shocked with the Taser during a struggle with deputies while
being moved from a holding cell.
Samuel was jailed for a probation violation for failing to pay $700
in fines from 2002 convictions for driving on a suspended license and
no insurance. He had been uncooperative since his arrival at the jail
at 3 p.m. Thursday and had been put in the holding cell to cool off,
authorities say.
Here's what happened after that, according to the sheriff's report,
which was written by Lt. Kenneth Johnson:
Johnson went to Cell J-14 at 1:15 a.m. to take Samuel to be
fingerprinted and finish the booking process started by the day shift.
"I stated to him that we were going to finish processing him. He
turned his back toward the door and began talking and flexing his
arms," Johnson said, and he told Cpl. Linda Mashburn to open the cell
door.
"The inmate fell backward and laid on the floor," Johnson said. He
said Samuel refused to get up and that other deputies tried to get
him on his feet. "The inmate began to fight and stated that he had to
get out of here," Johnson said.
Johnson ordered Samuel to stop fighting, but when Samuel would not,
Johnson shocked him with the Taser in the chest area. The Taser
delivers an electric shock to the body either through tongs or darts.
Samuel yelled at Johnson for shocking him, grabbed the Taser and
tried to take it away from Johnson, who regained control of the Taser
as Samuel charged him.
"I pulled the trigger to Taser the inmate but it (did not subdue
him). He continued to fight and hit Deputy (Chad) Weldon repeatedly
in about the face and head," Johnson said.
Johnson and deputies Brice Flynn, Ken Best and Cpl. James Skeen
wrestled Samuel to the ground, but he continued to fight.
"Deputy Weldon received the most injuries," Johnson said. "I asked
for Cpl. Mashburn to hand me some restraints to gain some type of
control over the inmate.
"We started to put the restraints on him and he resisted our
attempts, fighting while on the floor. I placed the Taser in his side
and pulled the trigger. The inmate yelled out, 'OK. I'll stop.' "
Deputies placed belly chains on Samuel but he continued to fight.
Another set of restraints was placed around Samuel's waist with his
hands at his side. Samuel was also placed in leg irons.
"The inmate was moved back into Cell J-14 alive, breathing heavy,
facing down," but Johnson said Samuel was in a position so he could
use his hands in case he needed to reposition himself.
Weldon was checked out by jail nurse Roberta Jenkins and told to go
the emergency room at Perry Hospital, where he was treated and
released. Capt. John Holland, who oversees daily operations of the
jail, was notified of what had happened.
At 1:41 a.m., Mashburn and Best went into Cell J-14 to check on
Samuel. Samuel was on his back and unresponsive. He was taken out of
the cell and all restraints were removed except the leg irons.
CPR was administered and a defibrillator was used.
Houston County emergency medical technicians arrived and took over at
1:58 a.m., left the jail with Samuel at 2:17 a.m. and arrived at the
Perry Hospital emergency room at 2:22 a.m. Samuel was pronounced dead
at 2:24 a.m. by an emergency room physician.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in at 2:45 a.m., said
Gary Rothwell, special agent in charge of the GBI Perry Office. An
autopsy performed Friday morning found no obvious cause of death,
with toxicological and pathological test results pending, he said.
Samuel was arrested Thursday morning at his Savannah home after he
called police there, saying someone had tried to break into his home,
said Bucky Burnsed, a public affairs officer for the Savannah-Chatham
Metropolitan Police Department.
Responding officers found no evidence of a burglary and ran a check
on Samuel. The outstanding Houston County warrant came up and Samuel
was arrested on the violation of probation charge and taken to jail.
The Savannah-Chatham arrest and booking report on Samuel indicated
that he was unemployed.
A Houston County deputy picked up Samuel from the jail and
transported him back to Perry.
Samuel's mother, contacted by telephone at her Savannah home Tuesday,
didn't want to talk about the incident.
"All I want is to have a quiet service for my son to rest in peace,"
said Sarita Samuel, who declined additional comment.
By Becky Purser
Telegraph Staff Writer
Macon Telegraph, GA
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/states/georgia/counties/hous
ton_peach/8479109.htm
PERRY - An inmate who died at the Houston County jail was shocked
three times with a Taser, according to a sheriff's report released
Tuesday.
Melvin Bernard Samuel, 28, of Savannah, died Friday morning after he
was shocked with the Taser during a struggle with deputies while
being moved from a holding cell.
Samuel was jailed for a probation violation for failing to pay $700
in fines from 2002 convictions for driving on a suspended license and
no insurance. He had been uncooperative since his arrival at the jail
at 3 p.m. Thursday and had been put in the holding cell to cool off,
authorities say.
Here's what happened after that, according to the sheriff's report,
which was written by Lt. Kenneth Johnson:
Johnson went to Cell J-14 at 1:15 a.m. to take Samuel to be
fingerprinted and finish the booking process started by the day shift.
"I stated to him that we were going to finish processing him. He
turned his back toward the door and began talking and flexing his
arms," Johnson said, and he told Cpl. Linda Mashburn to open the cell
door.
"The inmate fell backward and laid on the floor," Johnson said. He
said Samuel refused to get up and that other deputies tried to get
him on his feet. "The inmate began to fight and stated that he had to
get out of here," Johnson said.
Johnson ordered Samuel to stop fighting, but when Samuel would not,
Johnson shocked him with the Taser in the chest area. The Taser
delivers an electric shock to the body either through tongs or darts.
Samuel yelled at Johnson for shocking him, grabbed the Taser and
tried to take it away from Johnson, who regained control of the Taser
as Samuel charged him.
"I pulled the trigger to Taser the inmate but it (did not subdue
him). He continued to fight and hit Deputy (Chad) Weldon repeatedly
in about the face and head," Johnson said.
Johnson and deputies Brice Flynn, Ken Best and Cpl. James Skeen
wrestled Samuel to the ground, but he continued to fight.
"Deputy Weldon received the most injuries," Johnson said. "I asked
for Cpl. Mashburn to hand me some restraints to gain some type of
control over the inmate.
"We started to put the restraints on him and he resisted our
attempts, fighting while on the floor. I placed the Taser in his side
and pulled the trigger. The inmate yelled out, 'OK. I'll stop.' "
Deputies placed belly chains on Samuel but he continued to fight.
Another set of restraints was placed around Samuel's waist with his
hands at his side. Samuel was also placed in leg irons.
"The inmate was moved back into Cell J-14 alive, breathing heavy,
facing down," but Johnson said Samuel was in a position so he could
use his hands in case he needed to reposition himself.
Weldon was checked out by jail nurse Roberta Jenkins and told to go
the emergency room at Perry Hospital, where he was treated and
released. Capt. John Holland, who oversees daily operations of the
jail, was notified of what had happened.
At 1:41 a.m., Mashburn and Best went into Cell J-14 to check on
Samuel. Samuel was on his back and unresponsive. He was taken out of
the cell and all restraints were removed except the leg irons.
CPR was administered and a defibrillator was used.
Houston County emergency medical technicians arrived and took over at
1:58 a.m., left the jail with Samuel at 2:17 a.m. and arrived at the
Perry Hospital emergency room at 2:22 a.m. Samuel was pronounced dead
at 2:24 a.m. by an emergency room physician.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in at 2:45 a.m., said
Gary Rothwell, special agent in charge of the GBI Perry Office. An
autopsy performed Friday morning found no obvious cause of death,
with toxicological and pathological test results pending, he said.
Samuel was arrested Thursday morning at his Savannah home after he
called police there, saying someone had tried to break into his home,
said Bucky Burnsed, a public affairs officer for the Savannah-Chatham
Metropolitan Police Department.
Responding officers found no evidence of a burglary and ran a check
on Samuel. The outstanding Houston County warrant came up and Samuel
was arrested on the violation of probation charge and taken to jail.
The Savannah-Chatham arrest and booking report on Samuel indicated
that he was unemployed.
A Houston County deputy picked up Samuel from the jail and
transported him back to Perry.
Samuel's mother, contacted by telephone at her Savannah home Tuesday,
didn't want to talk about the incident.
"All I want is to have a quiet service for my son to rest in peace,"
said Sarita Samuel, who declined additional comment.