California officers accused of 'sadistic and terrorizing acts' against prisoners
Source: Guardian
Four sheriff’s deputies accused of strangling prisoner and encouraging inmates to throw feces as activists say abuse remains widespread
Sam Levin in San Francisco
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Tuesday 5 September 2017 19.08 EDT
Four California sheriff’s deputies have been accused of “sadistic and terrorizing acts” against inmates, including encouraging prisoners to throw urine and feces at each other, laughing at an assault victim seeking help, strangling an inmate into unconsciousness and intimidating witnesses.
The felony assault charges against four Alameda County deputies, accused of victimizing eight prisoners, have provided a window into the violent abuse and misconduct that prisoners’ rights activists say is still commonplace in some jails across the country, including in progressive regions that have pledged reforms.
Deputies Justin Linn and Erik McDermott are facing charges of assault, witness intimidation and conspiracy to obstruct justice for their actions at Santa Rita jail, a major county correctional facility for parts of the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California, including the city of Oakland.
One victim woke up one morning in November to an inmate throwing urine on him after Linn opened a cell door to facilitate the attack, according to the charges. When the victim pressed an emergency call button to seek aid, “Linn responded to his cell and laughed at him when he made the report,” prosecutors wrote.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/05/california-prisoner-abuse-sheriffs-deputies-arrested
Deputy Justin Linn
Deputy Erik McDermott
Deputy Sarah Krause
Deputy Stephen Sarcos
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