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Rikers Captain, Guards Fired For Hogtying And Beating Inmate
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jan 22, 2015
Modified Jan 22, 2015
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jan 22, 2015
Modified Jan 22, 2015
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The Department of Correction has fired a captain and five correction officers for hogtying and beating a handcuffed, mentally ill inmate in 2012.
The inmate, Robert Hinton, emerged from the beating with a broken nose and vertebrae, a bleeding mouth, and eyes swollen shut. An investigation revealed that the captain, Budnarine Behari, and Officers Geronimo Almanzar, Vincent Siederman, Paul Bunton, Ramon Cabrera, and Raul Marquez, entered Hinton's cellblock on April 3rd, 2012, cuffed him, beat him and choked him, allegedly because he protested being denied a baloney sandwich. And though it's rare for correction officers to receive serious punishment for incidents of brutality (as the Times reported last year) an administrative judge recommended the DOC fire all six individuals.
Yesterday DOC Commissioner Joseph Ponte followed suit. "Long overdue meaningful reform is happening now at the Department of Correction and the safety of staff and inmates is my top priority," he said in a statement. "The vast majority of Correction Officers perform their duties with the highest level of integrity and my decision makes clear that there is no room for this type of behavior on Rikers." A spokesperson from the Bronx DA's office told the Times that criminal charges may follow.
While reform at Rikers might be underway, instances of brutality—both passive and combative—still exist. The judge that recommended the aforementioned officers be fired noted that such a firing might help to break the "silence and collusion" and "brazen misconduct" that's so far characterized such incidents. "We must have a higher expectation of performance in situations like this, and while acknowledging how difficult the Officers’ job is, we must also accept the need to earn back the faith and trust of the community we serve," Ponte said yesterday.
Hinton, who is currently serving time in state prison on a parole violation, has filed a federal lawsuit.
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