Feds: Jail guard killed inmate, conspired with others to lie

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and JAKE PEARSON

NEW YORK (AP) — A Rikers Island jail guard kicked an inmate to death in 2012 and then conspired with two others to lie about what happened, resulting in "more sad news" out of the nation's second-largest jail system, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday in announcing two arrests and a guilty plea.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced the arrests of former guard Brian Coll and current guard Byron Taylor in Ronald Spear's death following a federal investigation that began when state authorities decided not to bring charges.

"Rikers inmates, although walled off from the rest of society, are not walled off from the protections of our Constitution," Preet said at a news conference.

The prosecutor described "more sad news out of Rikers Island" six months after suing New York City to address what a Justice Department investigation found was a "deep-seated culture of violence" toward inmates there, particularly the young.

FULL story at link.
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This story has been corrected to show that guard Anthony Torres is 49, not 59




Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/46747d4282f8454eb758c479308b83fc/guard-ex-guard-arrested-2012-death-rikers-inmate

[frylock]

1. Send them back to Rikers..

it will all get sorted out.

[erronis]

2. I'm sure they'll be welcome with open arms.

[frylock]

3. open arms and closed fists

[Judi Lynn]

4. More, from the NY Daily News:

Rikers Island correction officer beat inmate Ronald Spear to death, then tried to cover it up with help of guards: prosecutors

BY Stephen Rex Brown /

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS /

Published: Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 11:03 AM

/ Updated: Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 4:10 PM



~ snip ~

Spear, who was being held on a burglary charge, had irritated guards by frequently complaining he was not receiving proper treatment for his kidney disease, according to the complaint.

~ snip ~

While the inmate was face-down, Coll repeatedly kicked Spear in the head, documents charge. Inmates on the other side of a hallway door looked on in horror, screaming, “They’re killing him!”

The beating was so severe Torres attempted to shield Spear’s head with his hand — which was also stomped by Coll, papers claim.

Coll then kneeled down, lifted Spear’s head and told him, “That’s what you get for fu----- with me,” and “remember that I’m the one who did this to you.”

More:
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/rikers-guards-charged-beating-inmate-death-article-1.2253215

[center]Click for image:

http://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.10529080.1433967179!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/display_600/image.jpg

A former and a current Rikers Island correction officer were charged on Wednesday, June 10, 2015, with civil rights violations and a cover up in connection with the 2012 beating death of inmate Ronald Spear, above, who was at Rikers Island, awaiting trial. Photo Credit: AP / Zoe Salzman [/center]