MARION COUNTY, Fla. – None of the detention deputies involved in subduing, shocking and pepper spraying a Marion County inmate last year face charges in his death, records show.
The investigation, which was conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office in the Fifth Judicial Circuit, reviewed body camera and jail video of the events leading up to inmate Scott Whitley III’s death.
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According to a letter from sheriff’s officials, FDLE found the six deputies involved in subduing the inmate during a routine cell inspection back in November 2022 “conducted themselves appropriately” without violating any policies.
“The purpose of this review was to convene and evaluate all pertinent reports to determine if current policies and procedures were followed, identify any training gaps, and to make recommendations for changes in policies or procedures when appropriate,” the administrative investigation letter reads.
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The FDLE investigation was prompted after detention authorities were struggling to handcuff Whitley, who was refusing to cooperate with the cell inspection.
As a result, deputies said jail officials deployed pepper foam and Electronic Disabling Devices, or EDDs, in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to stun Whitley.
According to the sheriff’s office, seven deputies were required to subdue him. After they brought him out of his cell, jail officials said they discovered he wasn’t breathing and began life-saving measures as medical staff responded. Whitley was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
Deputies said Whitley, who was facing charges of resisting an officer with violence and violation of an injunction for protection against exploitation of a vulnerable adult, had previously been transferred to the administrative confinement section due to previous attempts to escape his cell and housing unit, as well as for acting aggressively toward jail staff.
At the conclusion of the investigation, state law enforcement officials recommended implementing more hands-on defensive tactics training, creating a policy for the use of spit masks and researching the use of chemical agents on subjects that are mentally deficient.
[READ THE FULL FINDINGS BELOW]
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