Deputy charged in wheelchair-dumping incident

[PrincessArky]

TAMPA, Florida (AP) -- A sheriff's deputy who was videotaped dumping a paralyzed man from a wheelchair onto a jailhouse floor has been charged with abuse of a disabled person, a sheriff's official said.


Deputy Charlette Marshall-Jones, 44, has been charged with one count of felony abuse of a disabled person.

1 of 2 Hillsborough County Deputy Charlette Marshall-Jones, 44, turned herself in and was booked into the Orient Road Jail early Saturday, jail records show.

She was charged with one count of felony abuse of a disabled person and released after posting $3,500 bail.

Surveillance footage from January 29 shows Marshall-Jones dumping Brian Sterner out of his wheelchair and searching him on the floor after he was brought in on a warrant for a traffic violation.

Sterner, 32, said when he was taken into a booking room and told to stand up, the deputy grew agitated when he told her that he could not. Watch what happened on tape »

Marshall-Jones was suspended without pay, and three other deputies were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

If convicted, she could be sent to prison for five years.

An attorney for Marshall-Jones listed in jail records did not immediately return a phone message.

Marshall-Jones also could not be reached by phone for comment Friday night. A telephone number listed in her name has been disconnected.


Sterner, who can drive a car but has not been able to walk since a 1994 wrestling accident, was arrested at his Riverview home and taken to the Orient Road Jail on a charge of fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, according to records.

He had called for charges to be filed against Marshall-Jones. E-mail to a friend

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/16/wheelchair.dumping.ap/index.html

well I sure hope she loses her job at the moment on leave without pay

[SLance68]

I was shocked when I saw this reported on our local news. She just dumped him out on the floor then began frisking him and telling him to get up. She deserves whatever punishment she gets.

[dv8grl]

The video sickened me., but didn't shock me., especially coming from Tampa.

HeadlineNews reported today that she resigned from her position.

I hope he takes all of those involved to civil court & sue the shit outta them.

[ma4angels]

She deserve what ever punishment that is given. I also think the officers standing around laughing about it and not helping this poor guy should be at least fired from their jobs. If this amn did elude police from this station after seeing this tape understand why. Who is say that the same officer or another was harassing this man to start with. The one that really makes me made in the video to is the old cop that walks past a starts laughing all the way past the camera. And these people are suppose to be protecting the people, they are so tuff protecting the world from a paralyzed man that drove away from the police. Why wasn't this women catching a real criminal?

[Njean31]

that ***** needs to pay dearly for that. god, i'd love to smack the pure **** out of her for doing that to a helpless man.

[YankeeMary]

I would think the officer that stood there laughing would be charged as well. She committed a felony while he stood by and watched. Is that punishable as well. Like quilty by association?

[PrincessArky]

Just heard on CNN Headline news that this other woman was also abused by Tampa police but can't find the article......showed a pic of her and boy did they rough her up bad

[dv8grl]

Tampa cops are a bunch of chumps. I dislocated my knee in the middle of 7th Ave. in Ybor City, there was a cop right there and he just laughed at me while trying to pick up a bunch of skeezers.

I have never met a cop in Tampa with any compassion for anything.

Back in the day, my punk friends had a band & they had a song about the Tampa Female Police Officers, called B*t#h IN BLUE, I will never forget that song! LMAO :rolling

[LuvBigRip]

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- A former Hillsborough County detention deputy caught on surveillance tape dumping a quadriplegic man from his wheelchair during the booking process has made a deal with prosecutors.

Charlette Marshall-Jones, who resigned in February, was charged with felony abuse of a disabled person.

She has agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program. Once she completes the program the charges will be dropped.

The program, which will take about 18 months to complete, means she will avoid a criminal trial and possible jail time.

"She is happy that this matter is concluded. She wants to get on with her life," said Marshall-Jones' attorney Norman Cannella.

"His only request was that she perform her community service hours with the disabled. We felt that was a very good idea," said Pam Bondi, prosecutor with the state attorney's office.

"She will now have to do 100 community service hours -- all with the disabled. And we also asked that she voluntarily surrender her law enforcement license in the State of Florida, which she agreed to do."

Bondi said it's not uncommon that victims are very forgiving.

In an unrelated case, Sterner was facing possible burglary and criminal mischief charges for another incident where he was accused of pouring bubbles on his neighbor's car seat.

The state attorney's office said Sterner's neighbor asked them not to file any charges against him for that incident and the state attorney's office agreed.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/6/30/361244.html?title=Former+deputy+in+wheelchair+inci dent+makes+deal