I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE: Video sheds light on jail incident that spurred arrests of multiple law enforcement officers
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Our I-TEAM has new video from an incident that happened nearly two years ago at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center in Richmond County.
At least five law enforcement officers have been arrested and charged in connection to the incident.
It happened on May 7, 2022, but the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division said it was only made aware of it this past Thursday.
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Now, a source has shared new video of the incident that paints a clearer picture of what happened. It shows inmates being told to lie face-down in water.
It offers another angle to Atkinson’s punch and chokehold, but it shows other deputies hitting inmates.
One deputy can be seen kicking or stomping on an inmate’s hands.
It’s the first-person view of one of the law enforcement officers who were there and who, we’ve learned, was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with violation of oath of office.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has not officially confirmed if Melissa Morello’s charges are in connection to the May 2022 incident at the jail.
The video clip shared with the I-TEAM begins as deputies file into the jail. You can see water on the ground in the hallway.
The call allegedly went out for deputies to help with an inmate riot, but sources say the inmates flooded their pod in protest of plumbing problems.
You can hear a deputy instruct other deputies to “put them all on their face” once they enter the pod.
Through the window, you can see the inmates on the second floor with their hands up.
Morello’s body-worn camera shows deputies race into the pod through ankle-deep water and run up the stairs.
Again, sources tell the I-TEAM that deputies were told they were responding to a riot, but by the time they reach the inmates, it appears all of them are on the ground.
The inmates seem to comply with every demand.
It’s obvious Morella isn’t happy. “I know y’all will think twice about this sh*t next time,” Morello yells on camera.
You also hear a deputy repeat the instructions another deputy gave at the door before they entered the pod.
“Get up then get them downstairs in the water,” he yells.
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Deputies lead the inmates down the stairs. You can see one of the deputies push an inmate down the stairs.
They are forced to lie down – face-down – in water that is getting deeper.
“Face first. Face first,” Morello yells.
It’s difficult to hear, but an inmate isn’t happy about his face in the water, and he insinuates he might do something about it if he wasn’t handcuffed.
Deputies exchange words about how he wants his cuff removed and how he wants to fight. The body camera captures Morella using a key to take the handcuffs off the inmate.
Before he’s even able to stand up, you can see him get punched. He’s then tackled in the water in a chokehold.
You can hear other deputies egg him on.
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“Choke that motherf**ker out.”
A little later, you see another deputy stomp on or kick an inmate’s hands.
“I guarantee y’all will think twice about this next time, won’t y’all? Won’t y’all,” asks Morello.
In all, the I-TEAM received a little more than 13 minutes of body-worn camera footage from a source. We plan to post all of it once we blur the faces of inmates.
Inmates at the jail who have not been to trial are presumed innocent, so we are protecting their identities. We will not be blurring the faces of law enforcement officers, some of whom have already been arrested and charged in connection with this incident.
Our I-TEAM will continue to follow this story.
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