More Police Abuse at the Hillsborough County Jail


HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) — Two surveillance videos capturing two separate scuffles have surfaced at the Orient Road Jail in Hillsborough County, raising questions as to whether those incidents were inmate abuse or justified force. In the first video, 49-year-old Wanda Sullivan is sitting in a chair in the jail’s DUI breath testing room. Sullivan appears to pass out, and the video shows a deputy jerking her out of a chair and dragging her into a room. The events in the video happened last May. Sullivan’s attorney, Kevin Hayslett, recently notified the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office that he plans to sue over his client’s treatment. The man in charge of the jail, Col. Jim Previtera, said the deputy did nothing wrong. He said Sullivan pretended to pass out because she did not want to give a breath test. Previtera also said a couple moments later Sullivan walked out of the room under her own power and showed no signs of injury. Sullivan never filed a complaint. The second video, taken last October, shows 25-year-old Michael Markell sitting in a chair, surrounded by deputies. According to paperwork filed by his attorney, a deputy choked Markell, causing an injury to his neck. Previtera said the deputy did not choke Markell, but instead held is face to get him to hold still while taking the breath test. Markell also never filed a complaint. Hayslett, who represents both clients, predicts juries will see the tapes differently. “I think the tape would probably