2 Corrections Officers Placed on Paid Leave

[Waxd0g]

washingtonpost.com

2 Corrections Officers Placed on Paid Leave



Two corrections officers at the Prince George's County jail have been placed on paid leave after being identified as "the focus" of an investigation into the death in June of a 19-year-old inmate, a county spokesman said today. County spokesman John Erzen declined to identify the officers. He said they were "placed on non-duty status because we received information that they were the focus of the investigation" into the death of Ronnie White, who was found unresponsive in his cell less than 48 hours after he was charged in the death of a county police officer.

Erzen said the two officers have not been in the jail since last week; he declined to say when they were placed on leave. He also declined to say whether it was police investigators or someone from State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey's office who identified the officers as being of particular interest in the probe.

Maryland State Police and the FBI, who have been investigating the case, declined to comment. White had been charged with killing Cpl. Richard S. Findley.

Last week, the state medical examiner's office ruled that White was strangled, confirming an earlier finding that his death was a homicide. The autopsy report pointed to a small broken bone in White's neck -- the hyoid -- as evidence that White did not, as one corrections officer has alleged, commit suicide.

In completing the autopsy, a state medical examiner traveled to the Upper Marlboro jail last week to witness a re-enactment of how that guard said he found White with a sheet around his neck. The guard told investigators in July that he had panicked and removed the sheet, causing a suicide to be mistaken for a homicide, sources close to the investigation have said.

The sources said that officer was Anthony McIntosh, one of two guards assigned to the maximum security unit the morning White was found. McIntosh did not immediately return a call seeking comment. His lawyer, Timothy Fitts declined to comment last week.

Officer Ramon Davis was the other guard assigned on June 29 to roam the unit where White was being held alone in a cell. His lawyer, George Harper, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Harper declined to comment last week, saying he would answer questions about his client and the case "at an appropriate time."

A third officer, Russell Hardesty, was assigned to an enclosed control booth with a partial view of White's cell. His lawyer, Darrell Robinson, has repeatedly said his client is innocent. Last week, he said Hardesty had met with investigators for more than two hours in July and told them he had never left the control booth, even when paramedics arrived. On Friday, Russell said his client had not been placed on leave.

The medical examiner's final report, signed Thursday, said White had likely been strangled by a sheet, towel or crux of an elbow.

[gray2]

how sad, I hope this turns out better than its sounding at this moment. I guess if they are guilty it will come out .

[all4114all]

Crap, how do you get that gig???


I BEGGED our investigator to place me on leave today and he ignored me!

Sheeesh

[shakedownshorti]

Wow, If they didn't do it "hopefully" they will be found innocent.....

[LIFERatUSPLEW]

Wow! If they didn't do it they better hope they can afford a good lawyer because it sounds like their on the hot seat for it.