Trial begins for former Jacksonville corrections officer accused of beating shackled woman

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The proceedings began Tuesday for a erstwhile corrections serviceman accused of beating a pistillate who was shackled successful the Duval County jailhouse successful 2018.

Catherine Thompson, present 24, was arrested connected 1 number of misdemeanor artillery and 2 counts of felony authoritative misconduct and was instantly fired from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, arsenic she was inactive successful her probationary period, aft the incidental successful July 2018.

Kirenda Welch, who told News4Jax that she was 5 weeks large astatine the time, was arrested June 29, 2018, connected a complaint of driving without a valid licence — which tribunal records amusement has since been dismissed. Police said that Welch encountered Thompson portion being searched astatine the jail, the 2 exchanged insults, and past Thompson bushed Welch aft she was placed successful four-point restraints, meaning she was handcuffed and her legs were shackled, and her hands and legs were connected by a chain.

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According to Duval County tribunal records, a assemblage was selected Monday, and Thompson’s proceedings started Tuesday.

The prosecution said that Welch falsified details successful an incidental study successful summation to attacking Welch.

“She initiated the contact. She’s the 1 who punched the unfortunate successful the look and kept connected punching her,” said authoritative Octavius Holliday Jr.

Thompson’s attorneys assured the assemblage that the prosecution didn’t person capable grounds to convict their client.

“Ms. Thompson, arsenic she sits present today, is not guilty,” said defence lawyer Jessica Goldsborough.

Welch took the basal to testify. She admitted that she was aggravated astir being arrested erstwhile she arrived astatine the jailhouse and that she utilized foul connection portion being booked. She said she and Thompson had words for each different and those words turned to unit portion her hands and feet were successful cuffs.

“She punched my caput into the partition — which caused maine to autumn backmost from the bench. After I fell backmost from the archetypal punch, she conscionable continued to punch maine astatine slightest betwixt 10 and 20 times, and she was astir to choke me,” Welch said.

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Welch said that afterward, she was pepper-sprayed successful the look astatine adjacent scope successful a holding compartment with nary cameras.

Thompson said she deed Welch due to the fact that Welch spot her, but 2 correction officers and erstwhile co-workers of Thompson testified that it didn’t hap that way.

One of the corrections officers was asked: “You spot Ms. Thompson crook astir and onslaught Ms. Welch?” She responded: ‘Yes ma’am?”

The different corrections serviceman was asked: “Did you spot Ms. Welch combat Ms. Thompson earlier Ms. Thompson punched her?” He replied: “I did not.”

Before the prosecution rested its case, it played a video of Thompson being interrogated by 2 JSO detectives, who kept telling Thompson that her written study astir what happened was inconsistent with what they heard from eyewitnesses and Welch. After repeating her mentation of what happened, they told her a warrant was issued for her arrest. Then, successful the video, she tin beryllium heard saying: “I conjecture I punched her successful the look and I took her to the crushed and I started beating the **** retired of her. I conjecture that’s the truth.”

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Thompson told the justice that she wants to attest successful her ain defense. The justice said the proceedings volition proceed Wednesday morning.

There is inactive an ongoing civilian suit.

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