Five deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office were terminated following two separate incidents of inmate mistreatment, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced at a press conference. In one incident, Deputy Jovan Hardwick allegedly sprayed an inmate with Lysol and struck him with the can, then submitted a falsified photo and claimed he had used water instead, as per FOX 13 News. Hardwick had been employed since 2005 and had no prior disciplinary record, Gualtieri stated.
According to WFLA, four deputies were terminated for their involvement in the mistreatment of an intoxicated female inmate. Lt. Jason Franjesevic, Sgt. Keri-Lyn Colosimo, Cpl. Emmanuel Nomikos, and Deputy Katherine Cantrell allegedly forced the inmate to urinate into a floor drain due to lack of bathroom access and mocked her. Deputy Cantrell also allegedly photographed and shared an image of the inmate.
The female inmate was wrongly considered uncooperative following her arrest for disorderly intoxication. The sheriff stated that her behavior was a result of intoxication, not defiance, contradicting the deputies’ claims that she was attempting to intimidate staff and refusing to answer questions.
The actions of the five deputies resulted in their termination. Sheriff Gualtieri stated that they have lost the right to "serve as deputy sheriffs and work for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office." He highlighted the responsibility to treat people with respect and dignity, noting that the deputies had made disrespectful and derogatory remarks about the incidents. Gualtieri added that anyone could potentially be affected, saying, "Anybody’s spouse, anybody’s mother, anybody’s sister, anybody’s aunt, anybody," as reported by WFLA.
