I wrote an entry about the incident back in February when a video of the Hillsborough County deputy dumping quadriplegic Brian Sterner on the floor hit YouTube. After seeing the footage, the sheriff's office suspended the deputy on Feb. 12.
From The AP August 13:
TAMPA, Fla. -- A paralyzed inmate who was dumped by a sheriff's deputy from his wheelchair challenged her to "make me stand" when he was ordered to do so, according to testimony in internal affairs documents publicly released this week.
Surveillance footage from Jan. 29 shows Hillsborough County deputy Charlette Marshall-Jones, dumping Brian Sterner out of his wheelchair and searching him on the floor after he was brought in on a warrant after a traffic violation.
An officer who witnessed the incident told internal affairs that Sterner was uncooperative, but not aggressive toward Marshall-Jones, saying "You just need to do your job."
"I'm going to do my job," Marshall-Jones responded, according to the documents. She then lifted the back of Sterner's wheelchair, dumping him to the ground.
The videotape was widely viewed around the country and sparked criticism.
Sterner's exchange with the deputy is among the details included in the internal affairs report. Investigators ruled that Marshall-Jones acted with excessive or unnecessary force and she was charged with abusing a disabled adult in February. She resigned that month.
At Sterner's request, Marshall-Jones enrolled in an early intervention program for first-time offenders. She must work with disabled individuals as part of her required community service hours and surrender her detention deputy certification.
The internal affairs investigation noted that four other employees witnessed the incident but did not take any follow-up actions to report what had happened.
One of those employees, Cpl. Decondra Williams, assisted Marshall-Jones in searching the inmate and trying to put him back in his chair. She was fired, the documents state.
Sterner said he repeatedly told Marshall-Jones he was a quadriplegic and that he was sitting calmly when he felt himself "being lunged forward but at a very rapid rate."
Williams said she was "stunned in a sense" when she saw Stern hit the floor.
In addition to Williams, another deputy resigned during the disciplinary review process, and five employees were given suspensions.
