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Unsettling tape does little to settle debate

Amid disagreement over the cause of a teen's death, the FDLE releases video of the beating in a boot camp.

By ALEX LEARY and ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published February 18, 2006

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - The fuzzy video shows a 14-year-old offering little or no resistance as he is kneed, punched and thrashed by a half-dozen or more guards at a juvenile boot camp. At times he appears limp.

The video ends with guards and emergency personnel lifting his body onto a gurney, an arm hanging over the side.

Despite its detail, the long-awaited release of the security camera videotape on Friday did nothing to settle a growing debate over the death of Martin Lee Anderson.

The teenager's parents said the tape shows guards killing their son. The camp's operator said it merely reveals that some procedures need changing.

And the medical examiner who ruled that the teenager died of a blood disorder was alternately praised and excoriated.

The teen's parents and a coalition of black lawmakers greeted the tape with sorrow and venom. They demanded the immediate arrest of the guards and closure of all five of Florida's boot camps for juvenile offenders.

"They picked on him so much until they murdered my baby in that field," a sobbing Gina Jones said. She had to walk away because the images were so painful.

Investigators, though, said the video did not show a brutal beating and did not support state Rep. Gus Barreiro's claim of a "Rodney King" style assault.

"The viewing of this will result in many questions, concerns and accusations," said Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen, whose agency operates the camp for the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Division also brewed within the medical community Friday, as outside experts praised or condemned the medical examiner's ruling that the teen died from internal bleeding caused by a genetic blood disorder known as sickle cell trait.

"It's laughable," said Dr. Jerry Barbosa, medical director of hematology at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. "His conclusions are just out of touch with medical reality." In releasing the tape, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it had "substantially" completed its criminal investigation and had turned over information to state and federal prosecutors.

Boot camps, which have been controversial in other states, are operated by local sheriffs in Florida under contract with the juvenile justice department. Florida has five camps, although the Martin County facility is scheduled to close soon because of local funding problems.

Martin was sentenced to six months at the Bay County camp after violating probation for grand theft. He stole his grandmother's Jeep Grand Cherokee in June.

The teen collapsed on Jan. 5, his first day, and died a day later at a Pensacola hospital.

The FDLE, pressured to release the video by family, lawmakers and news media, said it complied "due to compelling public interest and speculation as to its contents."

The FDLE urged the news media to show all 80 minutes of tape to minimize "misconceptions," an apparent suggestion that comments about its severity were overstated.

"Why did they choke my son, beat him, kick him, put their knees all in his back?" asked Robert Anderson, 35, after watching the tape for the first time Friday.

"Me, as a mom, I knew my baby was in pain and I'm in pain just looking that the tape," Jones said.

Their attorney, Benjamin Crump, said after reviewing the tape that he agreed with Barreiro that this was "the most heinous act you could ever imagine being done to a human being. You wouldn't do that to a dog."

Members of the Legislature's black caucus appeared at a news conference with the family and called on Gov. Jeb Bush to appoint a special prosecutor as well as an independent coroner to examine the body. They also want him to order the arrest of the boot camp employees.

"This is a sad day in the state of Florida," said state Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami.

The autopsy results enraged her.

"Just the idea, the arrogance, the audacity for someone to think that Florida, the nation, would believe that this young man died from an undiagnosed trait of sickle cell," she said.

Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, dismissed the investigation as a "coverup."

Bush expressed sympathy for the family Friday and said that despite what the medical examiner said, he was waiting for the FDLE report.

He said he was expecting a series of recommendations from juvenile justice officials on how to enhance the training and quality of boot camps.

"Which I think are an important part of the services, if you will, that are provided to get kids back on track. I don't believe we should shut down every boot camp because there's this one tragic incident," he said.

Barreiro, who saw the video last week and then described what he saw to the Miami Herald, stuck by his comments Friday.

"It's a moment for the family to grieve and mourn, but it's a moment for us as a state to stand up and say this is unacceptable, there are no excuses and let's make some drastic changes," the Republican from Miami Beach said. "And we need to make sure the people who did this are held accountable. Not one of them lifted a finger and said, "Enough is enough."'

Sheriff McKeithen already has changed procedures.

Boot camp employees can't use ammonia capsules "for any purpose other than emergency situations, such as attempting to revive a person who has obviously passed out," a memo reads.

Employees also must "immediately refrain" from using restraint techniques known as knee strikes and hammer strikes, reads another.

Will the guards be punished? He's waiting for internal and criminal investigations to be completed.

Two of the seven drill instructors involved, Charles Helms Jr. and Patrick Garrett, have been suspended in the past for incidents at the camp. Helms, a 50-year-old lieutenant, had glowing evaluations until May, when the commander said the lieutenant's job performance "has caused me concern" and that "poor judgment or decisions have been made in the past year, which have violated established rules and regulations."

He was suspended without pay for five days in April and May for violating the sheriff's code of conduct, including submitting false written reports and making false statements to staff members.

Records show Garrett, 29, a sergeant, was suspended for one day without pay in October 2004. It wasn't clear why.

The files for Raymond Hauck, Henry Dickens, Joseph Walsh, Charles Enfinger and Henry McFadden, as well as for nurse Kris Schmidt, were positive. Several included letters from community members and former boot camp participants thanking them for their help. Many have received employee of the month awards.

Garrett was recognized for saving the life of a boy at the camp who choked.

[Last modified February 18, 2006, 04:13:47]