U.S. Attorney Warns 'Nobody Is Above The Law' As Former Jackson County Jail Guards Sentenced To Hard Time For Beating Inmate



Here's the most important line from this presser and a sign of hope to end the human rights abuses that happen inside this outdated facility . . .

“The sentences handed down in this case show that law enforcement officers who break the law, violate their oaths, and deprive inmates of their civil rights will be held accountable for their actions” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division.

“Nobody is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison of the Western District of Missouri. “These former corrections officers abused their authority and violated the civil rights of an inmate by physically assaulting him while he was restrained and not posing any threat. As the prosecution of these former officers demonstrates, the Constitution equally protects the rights of all citizens, and equally upholds the accountability of all citizens.”

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Four Former Corrections Officers Sentenced For Violating Inmates Civil Rights

WASHINGTON – Four former corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for their roles in violating the constitutional rights of an inmate by beating the inmate without any legal justification.

Today, U.S. District Court Judge Gary A. Fenner sentenced former corrections officer Travis Hewitt to 45 months imprisonment and former corrections officer Jen-I Pulos to 30 months imprisonment. On June 29, 2020, Judge Fenner sentenced former corrections officer Terrance Dooley to 36 months imprisonment and former corrections officer Dakota Pearce to 24 months imprisonment.

On October 4, 2019, a federal jury found Hewitt, 30, and Dooley, 39, both of Kansas City, Missouri, guilty of participating in a conspiracy to deprive the victim of his civil rights and one count of deprivation of rights. Co-defendants Jen-I Pulos, 34, and Dakota Pearce, 27, both of Kansas City, Missouri, had pleaded guilty the week prior to the trial. Pearce pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and Pulos pleaded guilty to the deprivation of rights.

“The sentences handed down in this case show that law enforcement officers who break the law, violate their oaths, and deprive inmates of their civil rights will be held accountable for their actions” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division.

“Nobody is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison of the Western District of Missouri. “These former corrections officers abused their authority and violated the civil rights of an inmate by physically assaulting him while he was restrained and not posing any threat. As the prosecution of these former officers demonstrates, the Constitution equally protects the rights of all citizens, and equally upholds the accountability of all citizens.”

Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce were formerly employed as corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center. Hewitt and Pearce served as acting sergeants. Dooley and Pulos served on the Disturbance Control Team, also known as the Correctional Emergency Response Team, which is responsible for intervening in inmate altercations and neutralizing threats posed by inmates.

The victim, identified in court documents as “J.R.,” was an inmate at the detention center. On July 4, 2015, J.R. was detained on a probation violation related to the monitoring of his release conditions for a felony driving while intoxicated conviction. J.R. was placed in the medical housing unit of the detention center because he was severely confused and disoriented, as he was experiencing severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

At about 7 p.m. another corrections officer allowed J.R. to walk in a secure area outside of his cell. J.R., clearly disoriented and unaware of his whereabouts, attempted to exit the secure area. The corrections officer and J.R. then had a brief physical struggle; the corrections officer called a Code 1, indicating to other officers that she needed assistance.

Hewitt and Pearce responded and placed J.R. in a holding cell. Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce were upset that a supervisor decided J.R. would not be placed in a “restraint chair,” which was commonly used to punish unruly inmates, because J.R. was clearly disoriented and unaware of his surroundings. Several hours later, Dooley and Pulos entered J.R.’s cell, purportedly to remove a comb that had been fashioned into a “shank.” They removed J.R. and transported him to a holding cell (which was out of the range of surveillance cameras). In this holding cell, Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce physically assaulted J.R., while he was handcuffed and not posing a threat to anyone, in order to punish him for the earlier incident. At times during the incident, one of the officers stood outside of the cell and served as a lookout in attempt to ensure that the assault was concealed from other witnesses.

Several hours after the second incident, medical professionals at the detention center decided to transfer J.R. to Truman Medical Center out of a belief that his alcohol withdrawal symptoms had worsened. Truman Medical personnel working in the emergency room, however, quickly determined that J.R. had sustained significant injuries unrelated to alcohol withdrawal. Medical personnel ultimately diagnosed J.R. with broken ribs, a punctured lung, facial bruising, and injuries to his wrists.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Missouri, and Trial Attorney Shan Patel and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. It was investigated by the Kansas City Division of the FBI.
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Comments

  1. Yes, a good sign.

    Justice if they have to stay in the same facility.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nobody is above the law? Everyone will be prosecuted for breaking laws?

    Good fucking joke...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nobody is above the law, other than BLM protesters, Antifa looters, rioting taggers and anybody else who is likely to vote Democrat. The cliche has no relation to reality.

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  4. It had to happen sooner or later, the boy blunder gave Petersucker a chance to do the right thing last week and she refused to change her ways. The feds were called in because of her.

    Petersucker has been shamed into hiding in her basement for creating such a dangerous environment in Jackson county and all surrounding counties with her catch and release program for the last ten years.

    She should be thrown in prison for life for failing to protect and serve the citizens of Jackson county.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Throw Petersucker in jail, lock her in tight and toss the key into the biggest and deepest lake you can find.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ^^^ drunk meth whore

    ReplyDelete
  7. Above the law:
    PAT klein
    DARRYL forte
    ALVIN brooks
    Manny Cleaver
    Jermaine Reed
    ROY BLUNT
    TROy schulte
    Et al


    You know why? I filed complaints against all of them with credible information. No jail or anything. Still waiting for the feds to act.

    ReplyDelete

  8. No one is above the law except BLM. No one is above the law except a crooked mayor who watched stores on the Plaza get robbed and did nothing. No one is above the law except the chief of police who also watched the stores on the Plaza get robbed. No one is above the law except the people who destroyed the city during their temper tantrum and got released of any charges.

    This BS about no one is above the law is a joke and we all have seen it so spare us the spewing of vomit. Glad the feds are coming to commie BLM town to look into Lucas.

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  9. Damn it must have felt good to beat that guy. Worth the time.

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  10. I want to see that same attitude and sense of justice when it comes to dealing with police offers.Correctioal officers low paid,horrible benefits, lousy pensions,short staffing, mandatory overtime daily.No excuses what they did was terrible.Not even sure if correction officer take a oath just given a badge and poor and rush traing.Their union doesn't compare to the police union,same inmates,no weapons,babysitter for weeks,months years.Little to no respect.They deserves to be held accountable.Police officers deserves to judge the same as the Co=rectuonal officers,no differential treatment

    ReplyDelete

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