Posted on 07/01/2008 8:17:24 AM PDT by BufordP
The FBI and Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a 19-year-old man accused of running down and killing a Prince George's County police officer. He died while in police custody Sunday, a little more than a day after he was charged with the killing.
The Maryland medical examiner ruled Monday that the inmate, Ronnie White, died from strangulation. Two small bones in his neck were broken. The FBI, which investigates prison deaths as a matter of course, said it is focused on possible civil rights violations.
White had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Cpl. Richard S. Findley. Findley had been leading an investigation into a car theft ring when he pulled over a motorist in rural Maryland. As he was climbing out of his police cruiser, he was struck by a pickup. Police said they believed the truck was stolen and that White was the man at the wheel.
They arrested White and three other men hours later at a nearby apartment complex where the pickup was parked. Findley had been rushed to a nearby hospital. He died a short time later from complications related to massive head trauma.
White was taken to the county's Correctional Center in Upper Marlboro and placed in a maximum security cell. Officials say he had passed a medical and psychological evaluation before he entered the facility early Saturday, and guards were checking on him every half-hour. At 10:15 a.m. Sunday, he was seen sitting on his bunk and seemed fine, guards said. Fifteen minutes later, he was dead.
Normally, White would have been moved to a jail outside Prince George's County because his alleged crime involved county law enforcement officers. But because White was arrested late on a weekend night, the county didn't follow that protocol. Seven guards had access to White, as did numerous supervisors. Officials are still trying to determine whether anyone outside the prison had access to White.
Sounded suspicious from the beginning.
DC Chapter ping to those living in the northern VA, Maryland, and DC areas.
For your ping list since this is the hot topic on Chris Plante’s show.
Looks like the other officers decided to take him out of circulation. We will see how this plays out though.
Looks like the other officers decided to take him out of circulation. We will see how this plays out though.
Crimes like this tend to arouse lots of passion, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this turned out to be an “inside” job.
If this really is what it certainly appears to be, then the culprits need to go down... HARD.
All for charging the perp(s) with murder but ‘civil rights’ charges are BS. Were ‘civil rights’ charges pending against White in his killing of Cpl. Findlay?
there must be video tape evidence somewhere.......and how do we know that the prisoner was just fine at the half hour check?....its the cops word......
Does anyone know: Are the jails in Maryland run by the County SHERIFF’S office (as they are in VA) or does the Police Department run their own jail?
I believe that the county jails are run by the respective Sheriff of the county in question.
“Civil Rights” charges are a lot like “hate crimes”.
They are pretty much BOTH “BS” because they are almost ALWAYS unequally enforced (a clear violation of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America).
Of course, in this case 1st degree murder charges should suffice, I think.
In my opinion, it is too bad Maryland has all but done away with their death penalty.
Not applicable. The civil rights statutes in question are for depriving someone of their civil rights "under color of law." In other words, action by a government employee or official acting on the job. Hence, a policeman or jailer can be charged but a private citizen can't be. (Other laws may apply; these comments are for the particular charge at hand.)
Where the local police are corrupt, or a organization with many thugs in uniform or incompetent (all three apply in PG County MD in my view) I'm not unhappy to see the FBI look into it.
He slipped, fell, and landed face down in a pollow.
Pillow
I don’t know if I would classify them as incompetent.
Up until now they have been very effective at “what they do”.
;^)
In all likelihood, somebody tapped another con to take care of this business. A few years back New Jersey cop killer Robert “Mudman” Simon was killed in a death row yard by another inmate, who probably now has cigarettes and extra desserts for life.
Nice bike.
I’ve got a 1992 R100RS of which I am very fond.
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