OCALA, Florida — A Marion County corrections officer accused of slamming a handcuffed inmate’s head into the wall late last year has accepted a plea deal from the State Attorney’s Office, according to officials.
In exchange for having charges of battery and malpractice by a jailer dropped, Charles Craig Broaderick agreed to surrender his law enforcement certificate, said Chief Assistant State Attorney Ric Ridgway. Broaderick also had to complete pre-trial intervention, which he has done, officials said.
The veteran prosecutor said that if the 41-year-old does not get into any more trouble for a year, charges will not be refiled.
Without his certification, Broaderick has resigned. He could not be reached for comment.
His attorney, Carrie Proctor, also could not be reached for comment.
On Oct. 8, 2013, Marion County Jail inmate James Duckworth was being questioned in the Intoxilyzer Room, having been arrested by Officer Andrew Ritz of the Ocala Police Department for DUI with property damage, habitual driving while license suspended or revoked and a Seminole County violation of probation for battery by strangulation.
Surveillance video released by the Sheriff’s Office showed Broaderick mishandling Duckworth. The 33-year-old Duckworth was knocked unconscious from his head being slammed into a concrete wall at the jail. A jail nurse was called to examine the wound to Duckworth’s head.
An investigation into the incident was launched, and Broaderick was arrested and charged Dec. 10 with simple battery. He was released the same day. If he had not accepted the plea deal, he had a hearing scheduled on Feb. 19 on charges of battery and malpractice by a jailer.
Duckworth, 34, remains in the jail. He has a court hearing April 3. He is being represented by Matthew Stone Boomershine.
Since the incident, one corrections officer has been disciplined, while another, who had left the agency during the internal affairs investigation and has since returned, was not the subject of the probe.
Alex Dickson, who alleges Duckworth spit on his arm, received a letter of counseling.
One of the officers in the room at the time of the incident, Dickson initially alleged that Duckworth made eye contact with him and spit in his direction, hitting his arm. He later changed his statement, saying they did not make eye contact but that Duckworth did spit on him.
Leo Smith, the MCSO internal affairs officer, reviewed video images from the incident and noted in his report that, “Clearly the video shows that Duckworth did not make ‘eye contact’ with C.O. Dickson.“
Smith said Dickson violated the agency’s directive that “no employee shall make a false report, or knowingly enter or cause to be entered in any agency book, record, or report any inaccurate, false, improper information, or other material matter or misrepresentation of facts.“
As to whether or not Dickson told the truth about the spitting, Smith noted that the corrections officer offered two statements to that effect. The video, Smith stated in his report, “does not support those statements.“
But, Smith noted, Dickson maintained it happened and said several minutes after the incident occurred that he left the room and cleaned the spit off with Clorox wipes. Smith noted that was “several minutes after he, Dickson, had Clorox wipes in his hand cleaning blood off the wall.“
Broaderick, who had Proctor with him when he was interviewed by Smith, said he didn’t see Duckworth spit on Dickson, but was told it had happened.
Corrections officer Adalberto Rodriquez, who also was in the room at the time of the incident, told Smith he did not see Duckworth spit on Dickson because the door had opened and he had turned to see who was coming in.
Duckworth family members said they were pleased with Broaderick no longer being a corrections officer.
“That’s what we wanted,” said Elizabeth Taylor, Duckworth’s grandmother, adding that her grandson has two girls and is a wonderful father and a human being.
Broaderick had been with the MCSO since January 1991. He has worked as a call taker, dispatcher, evidence technician, evidence property room supervisor and corrections officer.
His personnel file shows he has some good commendations and some bad reviews. His salary was $49,197.83.
Source: http://www.ocala.com/news/20140215/marion-jail-officer-surrenders-law-enforcement-certificate