LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lake County correctional officer is behind bars accused of beating and severely injuring an inmate, according to an arrest affidavit.
Deputies say Jamal Demetrius admitted to using force on the inmate on the afternoon of Feb. 6 at the Lake County Correctional Institute.
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Demetrius submitted an incident report describing the altercation. According to an arrest affidavit, Demetrius responded to a rear gate to escort an inmate into confinement when he noticed an inmate jacket on a bench with contraband under it.
An inmate was handcuffed in connection with the contraband, later identified as tobacco. Demetrius was conducting a search on the inmate along with another officer. A report states that the correctional officer beat the inmate to the ground and Demetrius punched the inmate’s left torso.
The inmate told investigators he was kicked and punched, eventually feeling a bone break on his side and shouted: “You broke it, you broke it,” according to a report.
The correctional officers then left the room, leaving other correctional staff members to escort the inmate for medical treatment.
The inmate was eventually taken via ambulance to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Doctors determined the inmate suffered broken ribs and a collapsed left lung and had to be transferred to the Intensive Care Unit.
After an extensive investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Corrections, investigators deemed Demetrius to have a part in the inmate’s injuries. Demetrius turned himself into the Lake County Sheriff’s Office April 9.
The 25-year-old now faces one count of aggravated battery and one count of official misconduct. He’s being held on $7,000 bond.
News 6 is working to confirm if the other correctional officer involved has also been arrested.