A lawsuit alleges officers pepper-sprayed and assaulted a man when he asked about his release date
Chariell Glaze was set to walk out of Cuyahoga County Jail in northern Ohio after serving 90 days for a probation violation. Instead, Glaze reportedly was pepper sprayed by the prison’s corporal when he asked about his release date.
The Appeal reports corporal Damien Bodeker allegedly told Glaze “I should dump you and spray you right now.” A lawsuit cited by the news outlet says the corporal then grabbed Glaze by the collar and used a can of pepper foam into his face, making it hard for him to breathe. The lawsuit says Glaze suffered cuts to his face and a broken tooth during the scuffle.
Glaze’s lawsuit alleges officers did numerous other malicious things to him including restraining him a chair, denying him access to a bathroom and keeping him in soiled clothes. After his release from the chair, Glaze was kept alone in a cell for three days before being released from the jail.
Glaze’s case is one of many incidents the Appeal uncovered involving inmate abuse at Cuyahoga County Jail, where at least nine people have died in the past two years alone. The prison staff’s treatment of the incarcerated is so bad that the U.S. Marshals Service called the Cuyahoga County Jail “one of the worst in the country” with “inhumane” conditions.
People who are incarcerated still retain their rights and officers working in prisons have an obligation to treat prisoners humanely. Prison guards are required to follow all laws, just like people who are not incarcerated.
Ohio law considers assault and kidnapping offenses to be violent crimes. Aggravated assault, murder, robbery, manslaughter and aggravated assault are all considered violent crimes too in Ohio.
A conviction of a first-degree misdemeanor for violent crimes can lead to 180 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. Felonies for violent crimes range from fifth degree to first degree, the highest tier. Fifth degree felonies can be punishable by up to a year in prison and fines of $2,500 or less. A first degree felony can lead to 3 to 10 years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines.
Those who are convicted of aggravated murder can be sentenced to death or life in prison, along with a fine of $25,000. If a murder involves a victim younger than 13 years old or was a sexually motivated offense, the convicted can be sentenced to a mandatory prison sentence.
Just because people are in prison doesn’t mean they aren’t protected by the law. If you are a victim of a crime in prison, contact a lawyer as soon as you can. As Cuyahoga County Jail shows, prison workers can feel entitled to be inhumane. An experienced attorney can help you secure restitution if you were assaulted by police officers in prison.
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