A West Palm Beach man says a routine trip back from court turned into an 11-hour nightmare in the back of a sheriff's car, leaving him dehydrated and still limping weeks later. His family has hired an attorney and is demanding to know how a jail detainee could be shackled in a patrol car and then apparently forgotten for almost half a day.
Devante Bray, who is awaiting trial on battery charges and probation violations, told reporters the ordeal began on April 15 after a downtown West Palm Beach court hearing. Deputies escorted him to a patrol car, shackled him in the back seat and drove him to the Palm Beach County Jail. Bray says he was never brought inside and instead spent roughly 11 hours in the vehicle before anyone realized he was missing. Medical records obtained by reporters show he was later taken to JFK Medical Center for treatment. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office has acknowledged the incident, said an internal investigation is underway and confirmed that two deputies have been placed on administrative leave, as reported by WPTV.
Rick Morris, a former West Palm Beach assistant police chief who now trains law enforcement officers, said the account points to a serious breakdown in basic procedure. "What you've described to me is not good at all," Morris told WPTV, adding that any discipline will ultimately depend on what investigators uncover.
Transport Practices Questioned
Former deputies familiar with prisoner transport procedures told investigators that the normal routine is straightforward: bring the detainee directly into the jail's rear sally port, hand him over to corrections staff and get him booked into a cell. Parking a patrol car and leaving someone unattended inside is not part of the playbook, they said.
Those former deputies noted that standard head counts usually happen later in the evening. Bray says he was finally discovered only after 11 p.m. His grandmother told reporters the family did not find out about what happened until the following day, hours after he had already been taken to the hospital.
Agency Under Scrutiny
The case lands at an uncomfortable moment for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, which is already facing tough questions about how its jails are run. Just last week, WPBF 25 News reported that three jail staffers were arrested after an internal investigation that included allegations of assault and falsified reports. Local critics say incidents like these, stacked so close together, highlight the need for tighter oversight of transport and booking practices.
The sheriff's office says its review of Bray's case is ongoing and that the deputies remain on administrative leave while investigators comb through records and conduct interviews. In the meantime, Bray's family says it plans to keep pushing for accountability as prosecutors and internal affairs decide whether criminal charges or departmental discipline are warranted.
