Beating death of imprisoned Florida child

[praxis1966]

Just wanted to tell everyone to keep an eye on CNN tomorrow. I've been following the story here locally for several weeks, but it hasn't hit the national media because the Bay County Sheriff's Department has withheld the video tape of the incident. The story goes as follows.

Apparently, Martin Lee Anderson was a new inmate at the local boot camp. For those not in the know, Bay County, Florida (my home state and county) is like alot of other states here in the U$ in that it uses military-style boot camps to "rehabilitate" youthful lawbreakers. Anderson was incarcerated in the local camp on a relatively minor drug charge.

Within two hours of his arrival, Anderson was severely beaten by the camp's drill instructors for being "insubordinate." Shortly thereafter, he began complaining about difficulty breathing. He was examined by a nurse, after which he was rushed to a local hospital here in Panama City. Later, he was medivaced to a hospital in Pensecola where he died after a short time.

CNN and the Miami Herald subsequently filed a joint suit in order to get the security tape of the incident released to the public. Apparently, the local sheriff (whose department runs the camp) had refused to release the tape. He was backed up by the head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Guy Tunnell, who was also the former sheriff of Bay County and who basically annointed current sheriff Frank McKeithan. However, the tape is supposed to be released to the public tomorrow.

Those who have seen it liken it to the tape of the Rodney King beating. Just thought you guys might like to know.

[Atlas Swallowed]

The act is disqusting. I have no desire to see someone beaten to death. The blue suited Nazis kill another person, sad but not surpring. Hopefully those responsible will not get away with it as most pigs who murder do.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I find it ironic that at the top of this thread I see an ad for such 'boot camps'

Teen Boot Camps
Help for parents with defiant teens
Youth boot camps and programs

[praxis1966]

The act is disqusting. I have no desire to see someone beaten to death. The blue suited Nazis kill another person, sad but not surpring. Hopefully those responsible will not get away with it as most pigs who murder do.

Well, the local State's Attourney has already decided not to file charges. However, the local news has reported that the district Federal Attourney is looking into whether or not to file charges that the officers in question violated Anderson's civil rights (a crime that was created back in the 1960s to prosecute Southern white offenders who killed black victims when the all white juries aquitted).

I should note that his family has filed a wrongful death suit. Also, another kid, a 17 year old whose name I can't recall, has joined in the suit. Apparently, when he went into the camp he informed the officials there (as well as provided documentation) of a hernia in his stomache. They forced him to do physical excercises anyway, which included sit-ups and crunches. This caused his hernia to rupture, which landed him in the hospital and necessitated emergency surgery.

[FULL METAL JACKET]

How old was he?

[praxis1966]

Originally posted by FULL METAL [email protected] 16 2006, 11:48 PM
How old was he?
14

[Atlas Swallowed]

Originally posted by Compañ[email protected] 17 2006, 05:39 AM
I find it ironic that at the top of this thread I see an ad for such 'boot camps'

Teen Boot Camps
Help for parents with defiant teens
Youth boot camps and programs
Maybe they are trying to drum up business to people who desire thier childrens deaths. Anyone who can not handle thier own children and would willingly have them sent to such a place should never have reproduced to begin with.

[FULL METAL JACKET]

Originally posted by praxis1966+Feb 17 2006, 12:52 AM--> (praxis1966 @ Feb 17 2006, 12:52 AM)
FULL METAL [email protected] 16 2006, 11:48 PM
How old was he?
14 [/b]
14 years old to boot camp?!?!? that's a bit extreme

has to be plenty of kids abused by this sergeant

[praxis1966]

Originally posted by FULL METAL JACKET+Feb 17 2006, 12:13 AM--> (FULL METAL JACKET @ Feb 17 2006, 12:13 AM)
Originally posted by [email protected] 17 2006, 12:52 AM

FULL METAL [email protected] 16 2006, 11:48 PM
How old was he?
14
14 years old to boot camp?!?!? that's a bit extreme

has to be plenty of kids abused by this sergeant [/b]
It wasn't just one drill instructor, it was several. And they send kids as young as 13 as far as I know, maybe younger. I don't if I made this clear before, but this is the alternative to DJJ prisons. The kid was convicted of misdemeanor posession of marijuana.

[drain.you]

This incident is bloody disgusting and appears even worse due to the fact the kid was 14 years old. I truly hope it comes to your national media attention, even better if it reached global but I doubt it.

[praxis1966]

Update: The ME that did the autopsy on Anderson found his death to be a result of natural causes. Those natural causes? Internal bleeding and hemorhaging due to physical excercise because of undiagnosed sickle cell. You know what else causes internal bleeding and hemorhaging? To make it obvious, getting the shit kicked out of yourself.

The Miami Herald has hired two sickle cell experts and both dispute the findings of the ME. I'll keep you posted.

[praxis1966]

Sorry for the double post, but this is something critical that I forgot to mention: How much excercize could one do in two hours that could cause undiagnosed sickle cell to act up to the point that mortal danger is near?

PS The asshole that appointed Tunnell to head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was none other than Jeb Bush. That's right, the older brother of the fascist-in-chief has something to do with this story. Fancy that, huh?

[redstar2000]

Teen "boot camps" are, in fact, concentration camps for rebellious adolescents. Torture is common and death, while still unusual, has happened in a number of these shitholes around the U.S.

Among those who will obviously be eligible for summary execution after the revolution will be the staff of such camps and the persons responsible for sending teens to them!

No fooling! Those fascist motherfuckers deserve to die! :angry:

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Dyst]

This reminds me of that movie where some teenagers kill a guy by accident and then gets sent to a camp/prison place where they get tortured and abused.

Then later they grow up and kill the bastards!

I liked that movie.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Well if it isn't Racist enough for the ME to rule Sickle Cell as the cause of death!
How appropriate.

[redchrisfalling]

Thanks for posting this story. I try to keep up on this short of stuff but have heard nothing of it here in Canada. I'm going to bring it up with my local Amnesty group see if i cant get them to investigate and get the ball rolling on some media coverage.

(i know alot of you dont like amnesty but they are a mouth peice and they have been gung ho to attack the US this year)

[FULL METAL JACKET]

Originally posted by [email protected] 17 2006, 02:24 PM
This reminds me of that movie where some teenagers kill a guy by accident and then gets sent to a camp/prison place where they get tortured and abused.

Then later they grow up and kill the bastards!

I liked that movie.
sleepers?

yeah that movie was pretty fucked up.

not that I want to see it but have they released the video? haven't heard the news talking about it at all

[Anarcho-Communist]

The act which took place is disgusting, I couldn't bring myself to do such a thing, I hope that the people that commited that crime are arrested and fined and/or arrested it's disgusting behavior!

[ColinH]

I saw the video today. This wasn't just one or two cops, this was a gang beating. Makes me sick.

[Tormented by Treachery]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2006, 07:29 AM
I saw the video today. This wasn't just one or two cops, this was a gang beating. Makes me sick.
Where can I see this?

[praxis1966]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2006, 01:29 AM
I saw the video today. This wasn't just one or two cops, this was a gang beating. Makes me sick.
It wasn't just a gang beating. It was a gang choking. Several "officers" held Anderson's limbs while one applied a choke hold. He passed out over and over again. No wonder he had blood cells rupturing in his veins.

Thanks for posting this story. I try to keep up on this short of stuff but have heard nothing of it here in Canada.Don't worry. In due time it'll be as prevalent as the Winter Olympics. Marvin Lee Anderson will be the new Amadou Diallo.

[Jazzy]

Originally posted by Compañ[email protected] 17 2006, 05:40 AM
I find it ironic that at the top of this thread I see an ad for such 'boot camps'

Teen Boot Camps
Help for parents with defiant teens
Youth boot camps and programs
lol, I didn't even notice that til you pointed it out.....

[praxis1966]

I attempted to post an update a couple of days ago, but the board was going haywire and the posts aren't any longer here.

In any case, Sheriff McKeithan has succumbed to public pressure and issued a cease and desist order for the county boot camp to be carried out no farther out than 90 days. Not that that this has anything to do with the local prosecutor, only local media attention.

However, the FBI is apparently investigating as to whether or not Anderson's "civil rights" were violated. Funny, huh? That's a charge that dates back to the Freedom Riders of the 60s often used when lily white juries couldn't convict Klan members. In other words, when a "negro" dies, the federal government thinks about civil rights. Rather amusing that these so-called officers will at most get convicted of "civil rights violations" isn't it?

At any rate, this isn't going away anytime soon. As far as I know, Jesse Jackson just arrived in town. I'm waiting with bated breath. Be prepared for a media shitstorm (especially if Jesse shows up; what's napalm?).

[Sense-A]

Keep us updated.

First of all people should have the freedom and right to ingest anything they want into their own bodies. Whether they smoke marijuana, tobacco, or exhaust pipes; or whether they eat too much cholesterol LSD or dog shit. It is their own body and it is a violation of their freedom to inprison anyone for any substance at all that they've willingly put into their own bodies.

Secondly this is further proof that the USA's prison system is a scam. There is no rehabilation going on. Education, free religion, and the most basic human rights are denied to prisoners. The law-abiding public are brainwashed into thinking that prisoners have it good and are spoiled. Most of the prisoner population are drug addicts, victims of a manipulated and farce drug war. Many jails in Virginia actually charge inmates a dollar a day! Imagine paying the state for the privledge to be locked up and having no choice or way to pay it!!! Or using inmates as a cheap labor force. This encourages the state to lock up more prisoners as a means of income!

[praxis1966]

Actually I had just heard through the grapevine that he was busted on a minor drug charge. I was looking through some of the archives of stories on one of the local news stations and it wasn't anything to do with that.

Apparently, he had been sent to live with his grandmother. He had taken her car out joyriding. He was arrested after the granmother reported the thing stolen. The ironic bit is this: She didn't want to press charges, but the state went ahead with the case anyhow.

[caoimhain]

Originally posted by [email protected] 17 2006, 05:16 AM
Just wanted to tell everyone to keep an eye on CNN tomorrow. I've been following the story here locally for several weeks, but it hasn't hit the national media because the Bay County Sheriff's Department has withheld the video tape of the incident. The story goes as follows.

Apparently, Martin Lee Anderson was a new inmate at the local boot camp. For those not in the know, Bay County, Florida (my home state and county) is like alot of other states here in the U$ in that it uses military-style boot camps to "rehabilitate" youthful lawbreakers. Anderson was incarcerated in the local camp on a relatively minor drug charge.

Within two hours of his arrival, Anderson was severely beaten by the camp's drill instructors for being "insubordinate." Shortly thereafter, he began complaining about difficulty breathing. He was examined by a nurse, after which he was rushed to a local hospital here in Panama City. Later, he was medivaced to a hospital in Pensecola where he died after a short time.

CNN and the Miami Herald subsequently filed a joint suit in order to get the security tape of the incident released to the public. Apparently, the local sheriff (whose department runs the camp) had refused to release the tape. He was backed up by the head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Guy Tunnell, who was also the former sheriff of Bay County and who basically annointed current sheriff Frank McKeithan. However, the tape is supposed to be released to the public tomorrow.

Those who have seen it liken it to the tape of the Rodney King beating. Just thought you guys might like to know.
Another point is: Kids at said bootcamp could be beaten all the time like this. The only reason this has come out is because of the death. The land of the free they call it. That's an absolute disgrace!

[praxis1966]

Teen in Boot Camp Beating to Be Exhumed
Friday, March 3, 2006 2:18 PM EST
The Associated Press
By DAVID ROYSE

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The family of a teenager who died after a violent altercation with juvenile boot camp guards said Friday that a second medical examiner and an independent pathologist will conduct a new autopsy on the boy.

Martin Lee Anderson's family is having his body exhumed so they can challenge the original autopsy that concluded the 14-year-old died from hemorrhaging caused by the usually benign sickle cell trait, and not from the 30-minute altercation.

"It's a crying shame — we've got to go pull our son up again just to get the truth," said Robert Anderson, the boy's father.

Martin Anderson's body will be exhumed March 12 for an autopsy by Dr. Vernard Adams, the medical examiner in Hillsborough County. Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist who reviewed medical evidence in the slaying of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, also will be present.

Baden will examine the body but cannot make any incisions because he is not licensed to practice medicine in Florida. He and Adams will issue separate reports.

Dr. Charles Siebert, who performed the original autopsy, said a new procedure was a "good idea," but was confident in his findings.

The ordeal was captured by a camp security camera, which shows guards kneeing, beating and dragging Anderson. The boy had entered the camp on a probation violation.

The Dr. Michael Baden mentioned in the above article is, by the way, the same one from the HBO series Autopsy.

[praxis1966]

Finally found a link to where the video can be viewed on the web.

http://www.wmbb.com/servlet/Satellite?page...d=1137834168990 (http://www.wmbb.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WMBB/MGArticle/MBB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834168990)

[dusk]

The usa is a starnge country.

[Severian]

Pathologist says boy died of suffocation (http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060318/NEWS01/603180320/1006)

Pending the outcome of laboratory tests on more than 100 tissue samples taken Monday, Baden said he believed Anderson died because he could not breathe while being restrained and struck by officers
....
Referring to the videotape of the Jan. 5 incident, Baden said guards held ammonia under Anderson's nose and put a hand over his mouth while restraining him, after he refused to run laps with a juvenile troop. The boy was struck on his arms and legs, and pressure on his back after a "takedown" could have stopped his breathing, Baden said.

"And remember, he's only 14 years of age. He's a child. He's 5-foot-11. He's 117 pounds," Baden said. "He looks like a rag doll, compared to the guards, who stand much taller than he is."
.....
"With ammonia in his nose and hands over the mouth, and you can see that on the video, he can't breathe -- he can't get oxygen," Baden said. "I think that when he leaves on that stretcher, he is already mostly brain-dead. He's got a little bit of his brain that's functioning, but he's irreversibly brain-dead."

and

Guards used violence on others at boot camp (http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/CAPITOLNEWS/603170324/1010/NEWS01)
The boot-camp guards videotaped kneeing and punching a 14-year-old boy who later died had consistently used the same techniques on other youths, documents show.

Guards Patrick Garrett, Henry Dickens, Charles Enfinger, Henry McFadden, Raymond Hauck and Joseph Walsh had frequent physical altercations with detainees, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office Boot Camp documents, obtained by The Associated Press.
.....
On Thursday, members of the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators asked that the guards, nurse, Bay County medical examiner and the Bay County sheriff be indicted.

The five guards were involved in at least 63 other instances using knee strikes, hammer-fist blows, painful pressure-point restraints and other physical encounters with detainees, according to Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Protective Action Responsive Reports filed in 2004 and 2005.

Garrett, who has worked at the camp five years, wrote the report about the Anderson case. He said Enfinger and Walsh ''restrained'' the boy against a fence after he refused to run laps.

''I ordered offender Anderson to stop resisting and relax his arms. When (he) refused to comply with those instructions, I applied a knee strike to his left thigh and escorted him to the ground,'' Garrett wrote. ''After reaching the ground, I applied a bent wrist to offender Anderson's left wrist for approximately 7 seconds.''

Surveillance video shows the guards dragging a limp Anderson as they repeatedly hit and kicked him.

The report of the 30-minute ordeal also details actions by guard Henry Dickens, 59, a 10-year boot-camp veteran, who poured water on Anderson and later applied a pressure point to his head. Pressure points to the head were banned by the state in 2004.

Garrett said officers continued to ''counsel'' Anderson by applying knee strikes, pressure-point blows and bending his wrists backward until he ''stopped responding.''

Note that they admitted doing all these things in their report; that is, they thought they were allowed to do all these things. And while "pressure points to the head" are said to be banned, all the other actions are apparently allowed!

Which add up to: beating a 14-year-old in order to make him keep running.

I expect if this does go to trial the guards will use the Nuremberg defense: that all these things were allowed by prison system policy. But prison system policy cannot legalize violations of someone's most basic human and constitutional rights.

[redstar2000]

Predictions from "redstar2000 the cynic"...

1. The matter will never go to trial.

2. If it does go to trial, the prison guards will be exonerated and the prison system itself will escape having to pay any civil damages.

3. If any convictions do result, it will be the lowest-ranking guard who will be convicted and the sentence will be trivial.

There may be considerable yap from limousine liberals and social democrats about "basic human and constitutional rights" as if such things existed under the despotism of capital.

The truth of the matter is that you have no "rights" unless you are a rich motherfucker! :angry:

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[bed_of_nails]

Originally posted by [email protected] 17 2006, 04:49 AM
Update: The ME that did the autopsy on Anderson found his death to be a result of natural causes. Those natural causes? Internal bleeding and hemorhaging due to physical excercise because of undiagnosed sickle cell. You know what else causes internal bleeding and hemorhaging? To make it obvious, getting the shit kicked out of yourself.

The Miami Herald has hired two sickle cell experts and both dispute the findings of the ME. I'll keep you posted.
Impossible. Sickle Cell Anemia is an extremely painful disease to suffer from. I have never heard of somebody having an undiagnosed case of it.

[pandora]

Facism.

While the Bush adminstration continues to defund schools and privatize inner city schools as failing, more and more children are declared incorrigble and sent to detention camps. They come out angry and hard to gain trust.

I hope for an end to this, but it will take deep resistance.

[Janus]

Boot camps have always been known for their harsh treatments. Many boot camps such as this one are well known for their use of unnescessary force and cruel and unusual punishments. This isn't surprising due to the fact that they are modeled after military recruiting camps. As such, their techniques promote fear, degradation, humilitation, discipline, respect for authority, strictness, and severe punishment in order to break down the will of a person.

It seems that in this case, the punishment metted by the guards pushed the kid over his limit and resulted in death due to complications that resulted from the excessive punishment.

The problem here is that boot camps are still accepted as a quick fix solution for out of control kids who have been given up on by their parents. Supposedly, there have been 30 known deaths of youths in US boot camps since their introduction around 1980.

[redstar2000]

Google Search: teen + boot + camp


Results 1 - 10 of about 2,300,000

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Severian]

Originally posted by bed_of_nails+Mar 18 2006, 01:50 PM--> (bed_of_nails @ Mar 18 2006, 01:50 PM)
[email protected] 17 2006, 04:49 AM
Update: The ME that did the autopsy on Anderson found his death to be a result of natural causes. Those natural causes? Internal bleeding and hemorhaging due to physical excercise because of undiagnosed sickle cell. You know what else causes internal bleeding and hemorhaging? To make it obvious, getting the shit kicked out of yourself.

The Miami Herald has hired two sickle cell experts and both dispute the findings of the ME. I'll keep you posted.
Impossible. Sickle Cell Anemia is an extremely painful disease to suffer from. I have never heard of somebody having an undiagnosed case of it. [/b]
Apparently the ME - Dr. Charles Siebert - claimed Anderson had sickle cell trait - that he was a carrier (heterozygous.) That usually causes no symptoms except maybe at high altitudes.

In any case, that explanation has been pretty thoroughly rejected and ridiculed from many sides by now. There may still be some uncertainty about the exact cause of death - but it ain't sickle-cell.

Apparently this ME is a quack more generally, and the cops went out of their way to have him do the autopsy. (http://www.tbnweekly.com/editorial/viewpoints/content_articles/031506_vpt-03.txt)

***

Re Redstar's pro-passivity post: I make no prediction about the outcome. The state is always highly reluctant to punish its armed enforcers.

That is no reason not to fight, however.

[PRC-UTE]

Pointing out that the state is against the working class and will not seriously prosecute its own murderers is hardly passivity. It's to call for the working class to rise up beyond the limitations of bourgeois conflit resolution. Existing insitutions can't solve the problems our communities face.

[Sense-A]

Damnit whatever happened with this case? Was anyone prosecuted?

This is like the USA government saying "we will allow our military to punish the U.S. militants." How bad is the U.S. military going to punish its own trained soldiers for anything? especially raping or killing Iraqi civilians. Basically the USA militants are protected and immune to USA civilian laws.

Damnit so many government employees make HUGE hypocritical crimes and get away with it. Like Vice President Cheney being intoxicated and shooting his friend and not having to report to police until the next day when he had worked out a good false defense.