| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: RICHARDSON, WILLIAM 1400 (AR16-21777) DID KNOWINGLY, ACTUALLY AND INTENTIONALLY TOUCH OR STRIKE A JUVENILE CORRECTIONS OFFICER MR WESLEY HILL (VICTIM) FROM CYPRESS CREEK ACADEMY, TO WIT: THE DEFENDANT PUNCHED THE VICTIM IN THE FACE WITH A CLOSED LEFT FIST, AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PERSON WHILE KNOWING THAT THE SAID CORRECTION'S OFFICER WAS ENGAGED IN THE LAWFUL PERFORMANCE OF HIS LEGAL DUTIES, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 784.075. ON 112816, I RESPONDED TO CYPRESS CREEK ACADEMY LOCATED AT 2855 WEST WOODLAND RIDGE DRIVE, IN LECANTO, IN REFERENCE TO A BATTERY THAT ALREADY OCCURRED. UPON ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM, MR WESLEY HILL, WHO ADVISED ME THAT HE IS A CORRECTION OFFICER AT CYPRESS CREEK ACADEMY AND ALSO THE SHIFT SUPERVISOR. THE VICTIM THEN ADVISED ME THAT AN INCIDENT OCCURRED THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE DEFENDANT, MR ROBERT STEWART. AT THAT TIME, WE PROCEEDED INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM AT THE JAIL WHERE HE PROVIDED ME WITH AN INCIDENT REPORT, WHICH WAS WROTE BY THE VICTIM AND OTHER CORRECTION OFFICERS WHO WERE ON SCENE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I THEN ASKED THE VICTIM TO DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE. THE VICTIM STATED AT APPROXIMATELY 1241 HOURS ON TODAYâS DATE, HE WENT TO THE LUNCHROOM AND WAS TRYING TO HELP OUT THE STAFF WITH ONE OF THE YOUTH AT THE FACILITY. THE VICTIM ADVISED THAT WHEN HE WALKED INTO THE LUNCHROOM, HE MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT. THE VICTIM ADVISED THAT THE DEFENDANT WAS AGGREGATED AT THAT TIME AND HAD JUST THROWN A LUNCH TRAY ACROSS THE ROOM, KNOCKING OVER OTHER LUNCH TRAYS. THE VICTIM ADVISED THAT DUE TO THE DEFENDANTâS BEHAVIOR, HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE DEFENDANT FROM THE LUNCHROOM AND TAKE HIM TO ANOTHER ROOM WHERE HE COULD CALM DOWN. THE VICTIM STATED AS HE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE HIM, THE DEFENDANT TURNED AROUND AND PUNCHED HIM IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS FACE. HE FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE DEFENDANT USED A CLOSED LEFT FIST TO HIT HIM. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VICTIM WAS STRUCK, THE JAILâS RESPONSE TEAM ENTERED THE ROOM TO HELP CONTROL THE DEFENDANT AND ESCORT HIM TO A CONTROLLED ROOM. THE VICTIM THEN POINTED TO THE SPOT WHERE HE WAS HIT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS FACE, WHICH THERE APPEARED TO BE SOME MINOR SWELLING. THE VICTIM PROVIDED A SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT. I TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE VICTIMâS INJURIES; SEE CRIME SCENE TECHNICIANâS REPORT. AT THAT TIME, I ENTERED THE SECURITY ROOM WITH ONE OF THE SECURITY OFFICERS WHO SHOWED ME THE VIDEO OF THE ENTIRE INCIDENT. I OBSERVED THE DEFENDANT, WHO WAS SITTING IN THE LUNCHROOM WITH SEVERAL OTHER INMATES, TAKE HIS SHIRT OFF AND BEGIN PACING AROUND THE ROOM WITH A LUNCH TRAY IN HIS HANDS. AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF PACING, THE DEFENDANT PUT THE LUNCH TRAY ON THE GROUND AND CONTINUED PACING. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE DEFENDANT WALKED OVER TO A CART IN THE ROOM, WHICH WAS HOLDING SEVERAL EMPTY LUNCH TRAYS. THE DEFENDANT THEN PICKED UP ANOTHER LUNCH TRAY AND THREW IT AT THE CART KNOCKING OVER ALL OF THE LUNCH TRAYS. THE DEFENDANT THEN CONTINUED TO PACE OVER TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROOM. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, I THEN OBSERVED THE VICTIM APPROACH THE DEFENDANT, WHERE HE ATTEMPTED TO ESCORT THE DEFENDANT TO A CONTROLLED AREA FOR HIM TO CALM DOWN. I OBSERVED THE VICTIM PLACE HIS LEFT HAND ON THE DEFENDANTâS SHOULDER FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AS HE TRIED TO DIRECT HIM TO A CONTROLLED AREA, AT WHICH TIME THE DEFENDANT BEGAN TO STRUGGLE WITH THE VICTIM. THE DEFENDANT THEN USED A CLOSED LEFT FIST AND STRUCK THE VICTIM IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS FACE. THE SECURITY OFFICER PROVIDED ME WITH A COPY OF THE VIDEO FOR EVIDENCE. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM. DUE TO THE DEFENDANT ALREADY BEING INCARCERATED, I READ THE DEFENDANT HIS MIRANDA RIGHTS, TO WHICH HE ADVISED HE UNDERSTOOD HIS RIGHTS AND WISHED TO SPEAK WITH ME. I ASKED THE DEFENDANT TO EXPLAIN THE INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE. THE DEFENDANT STATED HE REMEMBERED GETTING VERY ANGRY FOR ONE OF THE FACILITY STAFF MEMBERS IGNORING HIM. HE STATED THAT HE BLACKED OUT AND THEN CAME BACK TO REALITY AS HE STRUCK THE VICTIM. THE DEFENDANT FURTHER ADVISED THAT HE MADE A MISTAKE. AT THAT TIME, THE DEFENDANT WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST, HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK, SECURED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE, AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY. THE DEFENDANTâS BOND WAS SET AT $2,000.00 PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. |
