After an inmate was viciously beaten, in Florida, the Department of Justice has announced that three ex-correctional officers were given two to three years in prison for violating his civil rights.
Coty Wiltgen was given 37 months, Ethan Burkett received 31 months, and William Shackelford was sentenced to 25 months in prison.
In 2021, they plead guilty to the charges.
According to documents, all three were on-duty at the Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex in Jasper, Florida, when they hit an inmate who was already restrained and on the ground.
The inmate, who is black, had been going after another inmate when he pushed Burkett out of his way. He kept going but was pepper-sprayed by Wiltgen. He got down on the ground, didn’t resist, and handcuffs were placed on him.
Wiltgen and Shackelford took the man outside where no cameras were in sight. Wiltgen then kicked the victim 15 times in the head as he was “face down on the ground.” He was also heard calling the victim “n*gger” and spit on him, too.
Furthermore, Shackelford had the victim on the ground with his knee nudged into his back while striking him on his side.
When Burkett approached the scene, he hit the victim twice in his back and punched him.
The whole assault was about two minutes long and included the victim hollering during the attack.
