Posted on 03/14/2005 8:48:17 AM PST by YoungBlackRepublican
A video camera, which is supposed to be monitored by two guards in a command post, shows the two arriving in the holding area between two courtrooms, according to a law enforcement official who viewed the tape.
The video shows Hall guiding Nichols, whose hands are still handcuffed behind his back, face-first into one of two open cells.
Hall releases one cuff and turns Nichols around to unhook the remaining cuff, which is dangling from his wrist. She uncuffs him so he can change from a jail jumpsuit into street clothes.
The muscular, 33-year-old Nichols then lunges at Hall, knocking the petite, 51-year-old woman backward into another cell. Both disappear from camera view because having a camera inside the actual holding cells is prohibited for privacy reasons. Two to three minutes later, Nichols emerges from the cell, holding Hall's gun belt and police radio. He picks up her keys from the floor and locks her inside the cell. Nichols then enters the empty cell.
A couple of minutes later, he emerges dressed in civilian clothes. He locks the door behind him and saunters calmly out of the holding area, carrying the gun belt, according to the law enforcement official who viewed the tape. Nichols appears to know which key to use to unlock the holding area door and enters a vacant courtroom on the eighth floor.
The part that's notable is "petite" female. Sending a small person as the sole guard for a 250 pound guy sounds pretty nuts to me.
The more this story is talked about I notice that the guard keeps getting smaller and shorter and the criminal keeps getting taller and bigger.
Your point is well taken, but what I was responding to was the statement that this never would have happened if the deputy had been male. That is complete BS because this kind of thing HAS happened many times before, and to men. If the deputy in this incident had been male, would people have questioned his fitness for duty? Highly doubtful. Instead, they would have questioned the procedures in place, which fortunately is now happening despite the distraction of the deputy's gender.
Please use your brain before posting!
Thanks for the catch. Memo to self: Even when you have a valid point, read the whole story before you rant.
What the heck is this?
Everyone is assuming two deputies were actually assigned to monitor the video camera. The article says two deputies were supposed to be manning the video. My bet is that they were actually being used in some other capacity at the time.
That would also explain why no deputies have been named.
"It's just a matter of physical strength and common sense."
Exactly!
And .. I worked there in the early 70's - before the PC police got rolling.
Holy cow. I wonder how that happened.
After Nichols left the female deputy locked in the cell he had her belt, gun and keys. He had been watching her for over a week as to the routine and what keys went to what.
He then encountered 3 other people and locked them in yet another room and took their cell phones. Leaving that room he encountered a male deputy. He took him at gunpoint back to the room with the 3 cellphone people, handcuffed the deputy (using the deputy's handcuffs) and took his gun.
I don't think its right to get all worked up in a tizzy about this yet -I'm just curious about their genders. I'd also like to know why they aren't showing the actual video of the woman sheriff getting overpowered by the prisoner. Could it be grandma was busy trying to get peek instead of doing her job?
He took advantage of weakness. He knew a 51 yr old woman was no match to him. Not one bit.
Lemme get this straight. Gunfire rang out in the holding area and, as officers "rushed" to see what had happened, the perp had enough time to get dressed.
Lots of sloppiness to go around. A small point, but when I worked as a Correctional Officer, I was taught how to hold and shield keys so the inmates would not identify which one worked a particular door.
Re:Black guards leading black prisoners?Do you really think Atlanta is that politically correct?IMO:The problem is assigning female officers to escort potentially dangerous male prisoners.Surprised something like this didn't happen sooner.
No gunfire in the holding area. He beat the guard badly and took her police belt with her gun, radio, handcuffs, etc. He didn't start shooting until he reached the courtroom.
You guessed correctly, they must have been male.
Get a peek of what?
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