OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Three former correctional officers were criminally charged for forcing inmates at the jail to listen to “Baby Shark” on repeat.
Four corrections officers charged with torturing inmates with “Baby Shark.” https://t.co/fic9zUBoX8
— 98.3 The BULL (@983thebull) October 7, 2020
Anyone who has heard the song, “Baby Shark,” should understand that being subjected to it for any length of time is tortuous for parents, cannot imagine how that would be to a ‘captive’ audience. And yet, that is exactly what prosecutors are alleging occurred.
Inmates were handcuffed to a wall in an empty room where they were forced to listen to “Baby Shark” on repeat for up to two hours, the authorities said. https://t.co/R2V8R45TzJ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 7, 2020
Two former corrections officers and one former supervisor allegedly forced four inmates of the jail to stand, handcuffed, and secured to a wall while the annoying children’s song was played over and over again, sometimes for up to two hours.
Investigators measured the spot on the wall in the officers allegedly used to make the inmates stand. Court documents said:
“The secure point on the wall was measured as being 3 feet from the floor up the wall. At this height and with no chair to sit on, it would have been nearly impossible for most inmates to sit or kneel thus forcing them to stand.”
These incidents reportedly happened in November and December of 2019. According to prosecutors, the inmates were placed in an attorney client visitation room.
Gregory Cornell Butler, Jr, Christian Charles Miles, and Christopher Raymond Hendershott were formally charged with cruelty to a prisoner and conspiracy. These charges are misdemeanors.
The District Attorney in the case, David Prater, was disappointed that the trio could not be charged with any type of felony. Prater hopes that the State Legislature should consider enacting a law in the future that would make something like the allegation a felony. He said:
“It was unfortunate that I could not find a felony statute to fit this fact scenario. I would have preferred filing a felony on this behavior.”
Miles and Butler are allegedly the two that handed down the alleged torture to the inmates. Hendershott, the lieutenant at the time, was criminally charged because he was aware of the situation and did nothing to prevent it. Hendershott has since retired from the jail.
P.D. Taylor, the Sheriff, who was in charge of the jail at the time, said that as soon as he learned of the event that he suspended Miles and Butler immediately. Taylor said that the two resigned their positions while the investigation was ongoing. Taylor said:
“We [Sheriff’s Office] don’t tolerate [inhumane treatment]. We always did an excellent job policing ourselves.”
The Des Moines Register reported that an investigator in the case wrote that Miller admitted that he and Butler had:
“[S]ystematically worked together and used the…attorney booth as a means to discipline inmates and teach them a lesson because they felt that disciplinary action within the Detention Center was not working in correcting the behavior of the inmates.
“Butler also confirmed that he used the booth as a means of punishment. The playing of the music was said to be a joke between Miles and Butler…the music caused] undue emotional stress on the inmates who were most likely already suffering from physical stressors.”
Prosecutors allege that Hendershott became aware of the allegations and did nothing to help the inmates or discipline the Butler and/or Miles. Hendershott’s refusal to act may well have made the duo to believe that the their actions were authorized. The affidavit said:
“This appeared to have led to the Officers continuing to mistreat inmates.”
Investigators allege that they used video surveillance from inside the jail to verify the complaints made against the correctional officers. The investigator reported:
“Additional incidents were brought to light following staff interviews but were unable to be substantiated with video evidence and victims to support the claims.”
Cops Charged With Making Prank 911 Calls
HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. – A Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy and a Cicero police officer were both charged after authorities say they made prank 911 calls while drinking at a party.
Deputy David Needham, 39, and Officer Bradley Gorgas, 40, each were charged June 27 with one misdemeanor count of false reporting, which carries a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, reported IndyStar.
According to court documents, the two were drinking at a party at Gorgas’ home just before 2 a.m. May 1 when they decided to prank a dispatcher at the county’s 911 Dispatch Center.
Needham made the first call. He disguised his voice and pretended to be a woman named Jessica whose boyfriend was stalking her, the court documents revealed. Needham reported the boyfriend was walking on Ind. 19 just north of downtown Cicero. It’s unclear whether officers responded.
Apparently not to be outdone, Gorgas called 911 about five minutes later. He reported 10 people in a fight at the Speedway gas station in Cicero, according to court documents.
Moreover, six officers responded to the Speedway, but there was no fight.
Needham used his own phone, according to court documents. It’s unclear what phone Gorgas used.
The Indiana State Police investigated the calls and confronted Needham and Gorgas on May 31, according to court documents, where they both admitted to making what they called prank calls. Needham told the State Police he had been drinking heavily and didn’t recall the content of the call he made until hearing his own voice on the 911 tape.
Deputy David Needham, 39, and Officer Bradley Gorgas, 40, each were charged June 27 with one misdemeanor count of false reporting. The prank 911 calls were allegedly made while drinking heavily. (Pixabay)
Sheriff’s spokesman Bryant Orem said Needham is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
The Cicero Police Department did not immediately return messages for comment Friday. It’s unclear whether disciplinary action was taken against Gorgas.
As of Friday afternoon, Gorgas and Needham had yet to retain attorneys. The two could not immediately be reached for comment, according to the report.
They have a joint initial hearing July 11 at 1:15 p.m.
Want to make sure you never miss a story from Law Enforcement Today? With so much “stuff” happening in the world on social media, it’s easy for things to get lost.
Make sure you click “following” and then click “see first” so you don’t miss a thing! (See image below.) Thanks for being a part of the LET family!
