Double-barrelled Mega-PING! to both lists! If you want on, FReepmail me!
Posted on 03/13/2005 6:31:58 AM PST by mhking
A senior judge blamed the triple killing at the Fulton County courthouse Friday on sloppy security provided by the sheriff's department.
Senior Superior Court Judge Philip Etheridge said it was "absolutely ludicrous" that the sheriff's office would allow an armed deputy to be alone in a holding cell with a prisoner known to be a high security risk.
On Friday, Brian Nichols, a 33-year-old on trial for rape, overpowered Deputy Cynthia Hall, took her gun and escaped from the holding cell. He then went to Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes' chambers, where witnesses say he killed the judge and his court reporter, Julie Ann Brandau. He also is accused of killing another deputy and a U.S. Customs officer.
"This whole thing just makes me so angry because Rowland didn't need to die and Julie didn't need to die," said Etheridge.
Barnes had requested additional security for Nichols' trial on rape and other charges after deputies found two crude weapons in the defendant's socks earlier in the week. Sheriff Myron Freeman on Saturday could not say whether Hall was aware of the increased threat or whether extra precautions had been put into place.
Etheridge said the deaths were "absolutely preventable."
"You can't be lackadaisical when it comes to security; you have to get it right each time because it only takes one time," Etheridge said.
"There is no way that anyone could have thought Cynthia Hall would have been able to handle a situation with Brian Nichols. No bloody way."
Freeman, who has been in office since January, on Saturday said he will put together a task force to look at security procedures at the courthouse."It's a big issue," he said. "If something needs to be changed, we'll change it."
Freeman repeatedly refused to answer questions about current department policy or security procedures regarding prisoners. "Let's be patient and conduct a complete investigation," he said. "Once there's a complete investigation, we'll go from there."
Deputy Sgt. Charles Rambo said current policy guidelines allow a single deputy to escort as many as four prisoners at a time, and allows a solitary deputy to enter a holding cell with a prisoner.
Rambo, who ran against Freeman in the 2004 Democratic primary, said the new sheriff shouldn't be blamed for the security problem. Judges haven't always been cooperative when it comes to security measures, said Rambo, president of the Local 453 of the International Brotherhood of Police officers.
"Freeman has inherited some things and in three months he has not had the opportunity to correct some of these things," Rambo said. "He may have to battle with some of the judges on what the policies should be."
He said the office needs to develop physical fitness standards because some deputies aren't in good enough shape or are too small in stature to safely handle prisoners in a fight.
Rambo said deputies transporting prisoners should go in pairs and be armed only with Tasers, mace and batons, not loaded firearms.
Fulton judges plant to meet with other courthouse officials to discuss security procedures this week, said Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis. "The court is going to look at all these issues including whether deputies should have guns when they are with prisoners," Manis said.
Former Chief Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Long said the court has had reports on security shortcomings from experts in past years. Some of the recommendations had been implemented but others were deemed too expensive, she said.
Other counties have different policies dealing with prisoner security. In Cobb County, for instance, two unarmed sheriff's deputies escort defendants into court and sit nearby, while an armed deputy watches from across the room.
Some sheriff's departments put a belt under a defendant's civilian clothes that can deliver an electric charge by remote control, said Dale Mann, director of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.
Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill said his office uses the belts and leg irons to control potentially violent prisoners.
"Any time we've got an inmate we think is a problem, all a deputy has to do is push a button and the electronic shock disables the inmate immediately," Hill said.
— Staff writers Rhonda Cook, Don Plummer, David Simpson, Pete Scott and Alan Judd contributed to this article.
Double-barrelled Mega-PING! to both lists! If you want on, FReepmail me!
LOL. That is so true. This is such a sad story overall in that these deaths were entirely preventable. The attempts at backside covering going on right now must be incredible.
I gotta say it: they should put Rambo in charge!
I must say, I was embarassed for my family in Atlanta after listening to this Sheriff.
Rambo ran against Freeman for sheriff last go 'round; sounds like he should have won.
Exactly -
Plus add to the fact of not just the screw up of having a lone officer escorting this guy but with all those hundreds and hundreds of cops outside the courthouse all day Friday....none of them did a search of the VERY parking complex he was last seen in!! - In which they would have found his supposed escape vehicle -
So, yet a fourth person dies the next morning -
But all I keep hearing on every TV program is "what an excellent job the police did in this situation" - It is literally mind boggling!! - They had this man in custody...and he manages to kill 4 people and they keep insisting they have done a wonderful job???? - What?
Oh, please. You should listen to the Police Chief of Philadelphia talk. He's as incoherent as any other.
"Senior Superior Court Judge Philip Etheridge said it was "absolutely ludicrous" that the sheriff's office would allow an armed deputy to be alone in a holding cell with a prisoner known to be a high security risk."
I said something to this effect yesterday in a thread and got flamed by about 25 people.
Why would you increase the number of deputies but denude them of their power? I don't get it. Increase the number, fully arm them and increase their ability to take down a prisoner.
we'll know if and when they release the security tapes
"what an excellent job the police did in this situation"
Yes, they certainly did NOT do an excellent job.
Atlanta is run like Third World country.
Etheridge said the deaths were "absolutely preventable."
Finally, someone is speaking sense and willing to tell it like it is. These deaths WERE preventable and should never happened. Which makes it all the more tragic.
One 130 pound female deputy in control of a 260 pound male who is facing ten years in prison. You figure it out.
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